U.C.BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 

ELIZABETH  AND  JAMES  ABA  JIAN 
COLLECTION  OF  AFRO- AMERICANA 


SEMI-CENTENARY  DISCOURSE, 


DELIVERED  IN 


THE  FIRST  AFRICAN  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA, 

• 

ON  THE  FOURTH  SABBATH  OF  MAY,  1857 : 


WITH 


A  HISTORY 

OF  THE  CHURCH  FROM  ITS  FIRST  ORGANIZATION; 


INCLUDING 


A  BRIEF  NOTICE  OF  EEV.  JOHN  GLOUCESTER,  ITS  FIRST  PASTOR. 


BY  EEV.  WILLIAM  T.  CATTO, 

PASTOR. 


ALSO, 

AN  APPENDIX, 

Containing  sketches  of  all  the  Colored  Churches  in  Philadelphia. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
JOSEPH  M.  WILSON, 

No.  Ill  SOUTH  TENTH  STREET,  BELOW  CHESTNUT. 

1857. 


SEMI-CENTENARY  DISCOURSE, 


DELIVERED  IX 


THE  FIRST  AFRICAN  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA, 

ON  THE  FOURTH  SABBATH  OF  MAY,  1857  : 


AVITH 


A  HISTORY 

OF  THE  CHURCH  FROM  ITS  FIRST  ORGANIZATION: 


INCLUDING 


A  BRIEF  NOTICE  OF  REV.  JOHN  GLOUCESTER,  ITS  FIRST  PASTOR. 

BY  REV.  WILLIAM  T.  CATTO, 

PASTOR. 
ALSO, 

AH  APPENDIX, 

Containing  sketches  of  all  the  Colored  Churches  in  Philadelphia. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
JOSEPH  M.  WILSON, 

No.  Ill  SOUTH  TENTH  STREET,  BELOW  CHESTNUT. 

1857. 


NOTICE. 


On  motion  of  REV.  DR.  BOARDMAN,  it  was 

Resolved,  "That  the  Presbytery  have  learned,  with  satisfaction, 
that  the  Rev.  Wm.  T.  Catto  has  prepared  for  publication  an  account 
of  the  FIRST  AFRICAN  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  and  cordially  recom- 
mend his  historical  sketch  to  the  patronage  of  all  who  feel  interested 
in  the  religious  welfare  of  the  colored  population  of  our  country." 

A  true  extract  from  the  Minutes  of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia, 
at  their  session  in  West  Spruce  Street  Church,  Philadelphia,  July  6, 
185T. 

Attest:         DANIEL  GASTON, 

Stated  Clerk. 


\ 


DISCOURSE. 


Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel  that  they  go  forward. — Ex.  xiv.  15. 


I  HA  YE  chosen  this  subject  for  the  occasion  on  account 
of  its  scope.  What  to  the  children  of  Abraham  under 
their  peculiar  situation,  may  to  the  people  of  God,  in 
this  day,  be  as  important. 

Go  forward,  as  a  command  from  the  mouth  of  God, 
is  worthy  of  our  deepest  consideration,  and  should  be 
regarded  as  worthy  of  all  acceptation  by  a  nation,  a 
community,  a  sect,  or  a  church,  and  should  by  the  indi- 
vidual man,  in  his  life,  practice,  example,  faith,  grace, 
knowledge,  wisdom,  truth,  and  holiness. 

What  I  purpose  upon  this  occasion  is — 

I.  To  notice  the  circumstance  that  gave  rise  to  the 
text — that  briefly. 

II.  The  command  as  it  affects  the  individual. 

III.  The  command  as  it  touches  a  church,  and  the 
history  of  this  church. 

I.  It  is  known  to  you  all  that  the  children  of  Israel 
were  in  captivity  in  Egypt,  and  remained  in  that  condi- 
tion upwards  of  220  years.  The  sequel  of  their  bondage 
shows  that  their  condition  was  one  of  affliction  and  dis- 
tress: their  repeated  cries  and  supplications  to  God 
make  this  assertion  as  clear  as  a  sunbeam.  To  such 
an  extent  did  their  oppressors  torment  them  by  exacting 


the  severest  labor  and  most  cruel  demands,  that  their 
cries  ascended  to  God,  and  he  determined  to  deliver 
them. 

To  this  end  Moses  was  raised  up  as  a  leader  and  de- 
liverer of  this  people.  Now  the  circumstance  of  Moses 
being  raised  up  is  as  singular  as  it  is  interesting:  a  brief 
sketch  of  it  in  this  discourse  may  not  be  out  of  place, 
as  there  seemingly  are  some  points  of  it  analogous  to 
the  life  of  Mr.  Gloucester,  the  founder  of  this  church. 

Moses  was  of  a  family  of  the  oppressed,  and  as  far  as 
human  estimate  considers  it,  was  of  humble  origin:  still 
he  was  chosen  by  the  Almighty  as  the  future  instrument 
to  bring  about  a  deliverance  for  these  bondmen.  The 
miraculous  manner  of  his  preservation  from  the  cruel 
and  heartless  order  of  Pharaoh  is  a  peculiarity  worthy 
of  notice :  his  being  placed  in  an  ark  of  bulrushes — a 
very  fragile  vessel — and  then  set  upon  the  margin  of  the 
river  among  the  flags,  and  there  found  by  Pharaoh's 
daughter.  His  preservation  and  education  by  the  prin- 
cess is  also  worthy  of  thought,  and  will  show  that  God 
chooses  instruments,  ways  and  means  to  bring  about  his 
purposes  which  to  human  speculation  is  the  most  impro- 
bable :  yet  is  it  true,  simple  and  improbable  as  it  may 
appear;  but  they  are  sure  in  their  results,  and  fail  not. 

So  it  appears  in  the  case  under  consideration.  Israel 
was  to  be  delivered  from  bondage ;  a  leader  was  wanting ; 
that  leader  was,  and  must  be  a  man  possessing  peculiar 
traits  of  character — a  peculiar  man,  necessary  and  fitted 
for  the  work — every  feature  of  character  was  to  stamp 
him  as  the  man  for  the  occasion  and  the  business. 

And  how  well  did  God  produce  in  Moses  these  pecu- 
liar traits;  how  completely  did  he  regulate,  direct,  and 
control  every  event  in  order  to  accomplish  the  end ; — 
brought  up  in  Pharaoh's  house,  under  the  parental 


[  5  ] 

watchings  of  his  own  mother,  wittingly  introduced  as  a 
nurse,  his  education  perfected,  through  the  king's  daugh- 
ter, and  that  education  a  liberal  and  finished  one,  are 
surely  very  remarkable.  Then  consider  his  meekness, 
the  softness  of  manners,  the  inflexible  integrity  of  his 
heart,  his  great  firmness,  his  courage  and  boldness,  his 
deep  love  for  his  people,  and  his  faith  in  God,  are  so 
many  proofs  by  which  we  conclude  the  man  was  fitted 
for  the  work.  It  does  not  require  much  insight  into 
human  affairs  to  determine  that  the  above  traits  of  cha- 
racter must  exist  in  a  man  who  would  lead  in  a  measure 
of  importance.  The  rise  of  empires,  kingdoms,  and 
republics  are  proofs  in  point.  It  requires  a  stout  heart, 
strong  arms,  and  much  firmness  to  grasp  the  helm  of 
affairs  and  steer  forward  amid  dangers  and  liabilities 
until  success  shall  crown  the  effort. 

Arrived  at  the  age  of  manhood,  God  informs  Moses 
that  he  is  chosen  as  a  leader  of  his  people.  The  subse- 
quent message  to  King  Pharaoh ;  the  wonderful  things 
done  by  God  to  bring  the  king  to  his  senses  in  order  to 
restore  the  people  their  liberty,  to  undo  their  heavy  bur- 
dens, &c.,  you  are  informed  of,  and  how  faithfully  their 
leader  performed  his  duty.  You  have  knowledge  of 
their  final  departure  from  Egypt  to  a  land  of  freedom, 
the  land  of  Canaan,  where  they  could  worship  God 
under  their  own  vine  and  fig-tree,  none  to  molest  or 
make  them  afraid,  and  we  can  well  imagine  what  their 
hopes  and  anticipations  were  when  they  found  their 
journey  toward  the  promised  land  really  begun,  as  in 
their  tribes  and  families  they  take  up  the  line  of  march. 

During  their  journey  Moses,  at  the  command  of  God, 
caused  the  people  to  turn  in  before  Pi-hahiroth,  between 
Migdol  and  the  sea,  &c.,  and  there  encamp  themselves. 
It  was  during  this  encampment  that  Pharaoh  regretted 


having  liberated  the  Israelites,  and  he  determined  to 
pursue  them  and  drive  them  back  to  Egypt,  which  he 
accordingly  attempted:  his  horsemen  and  chariots  and 
his  army  were  soon  gathered,  and  he  went  in  pursuit  of 
the  Israelites.  Seeing  the  Egyptians  pursuing,  they 
began  to  murmur  and  complain  against  Moses;  they 
became  very  uneasy  at  the  sight  of  their  enemies,  and 
regretted  having  left  Egypt. 

Now  it  is  true  God  commanded  them  to  encamp,  and 
it  was  during  that  very  time  that  the  enemy  appeared ; 
hence  it  may  be  inferred  that  their  dilemma  was  not 
brought  about  by  any  act  of  theirs;  so  that  they  being 
found  resting  when  t.hey  should  have  been  journeying 
was  not  their  fault.  To  this,  in  view  of  the  text,  we 
find  no  objection;  the  only  exception  is  their  mistrust 
of  God,  and  want  of  confidence  in  their  leader,  by  com- 
plaining and  reproaching  Moses  for  the  danger  in  which 
they  were  placed.  Moses  too,  though  not  mistrustful  of 
God,  sought  in  the  first  place  to  allay  their  fears,  and  so 
check  their  murmurs  and  reproaches- — an  evident  delay 
that  might  have  been  better  employed,  for  it  is  plain 
that  it  was  a  time  for  action,  a  time  that  should  have 
been  employed  in  fleeing  from  the  pursuer,  and  extri- 
cating themselves  from  their  trouble.  This  will  appear 
still  more  evident  by  tracing  further  the  course  taken 
by  Moses,  and  the  order  he  received  from  God.  After 
first  trying  to  quiet  the  fears  of  the  people,  he  next  ad- 
dresses himself  to  God.  Whereupon  the  Lord  said  unto 
him,  "  Wherefore  criest  thou  unto  me  ?  speak  unto  the 
children  of  Israel  that  they  go  forward."  As  though 
it  were  said,  Lose  no  time,  improve  every  moment,  cry 
as  you  go  forward,  the  enemy  is  behind  you,  your. course 
is  before  you,  though  it  be  through  the  sea  go  forward, 
and  lose  no  time,  and  look  to  me  for  deliverance  and 


success.  The  sequel  of  this  incident  in  the  history  of 
this  people  you  all  know:  they  did  go  forward,  their 
difficulties  were  removed,  for  the  sea  was  made  to  part 
at  the  lifting  up  of  Moses'  rod  over  it,  and  the  people 
went  through  safely;  which  their  pursuers  essaying  to 
do,  were  overwhelmed  and  destroyed. 

II.  I  call  your  attention  to  these  words  as  they  affect 
the  individual  man.  I  adopt  this  course  as  you  can 
plainly  see  that  a  community  or  an  army,  a  nation  or  a 
church,  are  comprised  of  individuals,  each  man  making 
up  the  aggregate,  and  therefore  upon  the  life,  conduct, 
and  action  of  each  man  depend,  in  a  greater  or  lesser 
degree,  the  power  and  influence  of  the  whole,  whether 
it  be  a  nation,  an  army,  or  a  church. 

Now  as  it  regards  individuals,  we  assume  that  no  man 
in  the  great  world  of  life  and  action  can  be  idle  and 
indifferent  to  the  callings  and  claims  of  government; 
regarding  men  as  citizens,  members  of  society,  heads  of 
families,  or  in  the  relation  of  friends,  it  cannot  with  any 
show  of  truth  be  said  upon  him  there  are  no  claims. 
Every  man,  more  or  less,  has  some  part  to  perform  in 
the  drama  of  life;  there  can  be  no  stand,  no  rest,  no 
indifference  on  this  active,  busy,  working  stage;  the 
world  is  ever  moving,  and  everything  around  shows  life, 
activity,  energy,  commotion;  the  world  goes  forward  in 
numerous  almost  countless  operations;  its  motto  is  for- 
ward. As  individuals  we  must  go  forward  upon  the 
broad  bosom  of  this  ocean  life  and  contribute  our  some- 
thing towards  the  press  of  interests  that  impels  forward: 
who  moves  not  will  be  pushed  aside,  or  irresistibly  borne 
forward,  uncared  for  and  unhonored:  we  all  must  strug- 
gle in  this  race  of  active  life,  and  add  our  quota  to  the 
universal  use.  The  command  is  a  good  one,  Go  forward, 
and  wise  is  the  man  who  obeys  it.  Observation  with  its 


[  8  ] 

keen  eye,  attentive  ear,  comprehensive  intellect,  and 
sound  judgment,  attests  the  fact  that  in  order  to  accom- 
plish any  purpose  or  attain  any  end,  the  individual  man 
must  go  forward  to  insure  success  and  grasp  his  desire. 
Xo  aim  in  life  can  be  successful  without  it.  If  in  quest 
of  wealth  or  position,  science,  literature,  or  anything 
else,  earnest  perseverance  as  well  as  strong  resolution, 
activity  and  energy,  are  necessary  forces,  and  must  be 
brought  out  for  the  struggle.  Is  the  aim  intellectual 
greatness,  the  command  Go  forward  holds  good ;  atten- 
tion, assiduity,  application,  are  elements  necessary  to 
crown  the  effort.  In  the  life  of  each  man  the  command 
is  good ;  to  him  it  is  as  essential  as  any  law  of  his  being. 
Old  habits,  if  they  are  injurious  in  their  tendency  by 
corrupting  the  heart  in  any  way,  must  be  broken  off,  and 
a  sound  morality,  virtuous  and  upright  deportment,  must 
mark  the  general  character. 

Particularly  is  this  command  good  in  the  Christian 
man's  life.  The  commandment  of  the  Lord  is  pure, 
enlightening  the  eyes.  Every  professing  Christian  must 
grow  in  grace  and  in  knowledge — knowledge  of  himself, 
of  his  God,  of  his  obligations  to  the  world  around  him, 
and  as  to  matters  of  faith  grow  therein.  Paul  says — 
"  Brethren,  I  count  not  myself  to  have  apprehended,  but 
this  one  thing  I  do,  forgetting  those  things  which  are 
behind,  and  reaching  forth  unto  those  things  which  are 
before,  I  press  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high 
calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus." 

Viewing  the  principle  plainly  taught  in  this  text  as 
it  bears  upon  the  individual  man,  we  must  admit  its 
importance  and  necessity,  as  it  enters  into  every  arrange- 
ment introduced  for  his  government  by  Jehovah  himself. 
He  writes  it  in  fairest  lines  drawn  upon  every  effort  to 
benefit  the  moral  or  the  Christian  world — progress,  pro- 


[  9  ] 

• 

gression,  is  the  seal  of  God  itself,  whereby  is  stamped 
the  likeness  and  image  of  that  Being  who  gave  to  Moses 
the  command  Go  forward.  It  does  seem  that  God, 
through  every  progress  made,  whether  in  the  arts  or 
sciences,  whether  in  the  church  or  state,  only  reiterates 
what  he  said  to  Moses  whilst  they  were  resting  before 
Baal  Zephon.  And  from  amid  this  world  of  life,  where 
all  are  in  commotion,  and  each  one  agitated  upon  its 
troubled  bosom,  pushing  his  way  through  the  laboring 
multitudes,  shall  we  single  out  the  Christian  man  and 
say  to  him  as  the  representative  of  a  class  of  that  busy 
world,  you  are  an  exception,  whilst  others  should  go  for- 
ward you  may  stand  still :  this  can  never  be ;  the  Chris- 
tian man  can  no  more  stand  idle  amid  the  conflicts  of 
life  than  the  earth  on  which  he  dwells  can  cease  its  re- 
volutions and  exist.  Every  one  of  us  has  work  to  do, 
around  us  as  well  as  within  us.  We  begin  in  childhood 
to  act  our  part  upon  the  stage  of  life:  as  we  grow  in 
age,  in  size,  in  strength,  so  grows  our  labor ;  as  we  de- 
velop our  physical  and  mental  man,  so  must  we  produce 
qualifications  necessary  for  the  employments  and  engage- 
ments of  life,  every  man  for  his  calling,  as  Paul  records 
it.  "But* the  manifestation  of  the  spirit  is  given  to 
every  man  to  profit  withal :  for  to  one  is  given,  by  the 
spirit,  the  word  of  wisdom;  to  another  the  word  of 
knowledge,  by  the  same  spirit;  to  another  faith,  by  the 
same  spirit;  .to  another  the  gifts  of  healing,  by  the  same 
spirit;  to  another  the  working  of  miracles;  to  another 
prophecy;  to  another  discerning  of  spirits;  to  another 
divers  kinds  of  tongues;  to  another  the  interpretation 
of  tongues:  but  all  these  worketh  that  one  and  the  self- 
same spirit,  dividing  to  every  man  severally  as  he  will." 
There  is  therefore  an  obligation  upon  every  Christian 
professor,  a  necessity  of  going  forward  in  every  calling, 


whether  of  faith  or  practice ;  to  make  progress — plain, 
unmistakable  progress,  such  as  will  be  seen,  felt,  and 
acknowledged  by  all.  These  should  be  so  plain  as  to 
mark  the  Christian  in  his  life  and  efforts  to  advance  the 
interest  of  humanity  and  the  glory  of  his  God.  This  is, 
in  fact,  the  chief  end  of  man. 

III.  The  command  in  its  scope  touches  governments 
and  communities  as  well  as  individuals,  they  too  must 
go  forward  in  the  march  of  life.  It  is  as  necessary  in 
all  that  concerns  their  interests  as  the  individual.  They 
should  go  forward  from  a  state  of  barbarism  to  enlight- 
ened civilization,  from  heathen  superstition  to  a  know- 
ledge of  the  Christian  graces :  these  steps  mark  the 
greatness  of  a  nation,  and  the  ever  growing,  enlighten- 
ing, civilizing,  and  Christianizing  progress  are  plainly 
seen  by  their  greatness  and  their  power. 

What  is  true  in  these  instances  is  true  in  relation  to 
a  church,  which  brings  us  to  our  third  consideration. 
The  church  is  comprised  of  any  number  of  individuals 
for  the  service  and  worship  of  God ;  it  may  be  regarded 
as  a  community  or  government — a  kingdom  if  you  please 
— Christ,  however,  is  its  head.  The  church  is  com- 
manded to  go  forward ;  it  must  not,  cannot  tarry  on  the 
plain  of  human  progress.  The  church  has  its  aim  and 
its  end;  it  is  an  intelligent  intellectual  body;  it  has 
something  in  common  with  other  intelligent  agencies  to 
do;  whatever  it  is  must  be  done;  to  accomplish  which 
it  must  go  forward.  Is  the  church  itself  small  and 
diminutive,  it  must  swell  and  increase  until  its  huge 
form  can  be  seen  like  a  great  mountain  away  in  the  dis- 
tance. The  handful  of  corn  planted  must  produce  the 
wavy  field,  rich  for  the  harvest.  The  stone  cut  out  of 
the  mountain  must  roll  on  and  roll  on  until  it  fills  the 
earth.  The  church  of  Christ  has  an  interesting  work 


[  11  ] 

to  perform,  and  in  that  work  there  must  be  progress. 
Righteousness  through  it  must  be  established,  truth 
maintained,  justice  advocated,  mercy  pleaded;  love,  free, 
full,  universal  love  to  all,  among  all,  contended  for,  with 
a  zeal  and  fervor  and  sincerity  that  should  know  no 
abatement;  to  this  end  every  available  means  must  be 
used,  every  effort  made ;  hearts  and  heads  and  hands  of 
men  must  be  enlisted  to  work  out  the  redemption  of  the 
world ;  sin  of  every  kind,  cast,  or  color  must  be  destroyed ; 
against  them  all  the  church  must  fight,  though  it  be 
against  principalities  and  powers  or  spiritual  wickedness 
in  high  places;  every  instrumentality  must  be  seized 
upon  to  carry  forward  the  interesting  work  of  Chris- 
tianity, civilization,  redemption,  reformation — revolution 
if  need  be ;  sin  must  be  slain.  The  church  must  do  its 
part,  and  do  it  well;  discouragements  and  opposition 
should  be  no  barriers,  we  must  go  forward,  it  is  God's 
command.  A  body  of  godly  working  Christians  is  a 
sight  which  angels  can  contemplate  with  delight,  and 
which  God  himself  approves.  The  church  must  move 
on;  from  what  we  see  it  must  move  on,  there  is  no  en- 
camping here,  amid  this  battle-field  of  life.  Men  and 
nations  and  communities  are  heeding  the  command  and 
moving  forward:  science  is  holding  up  its  magic  lamp, 
and  by  its  light  athwart  the  pathway  of  men  and  nations 
does  she  throw  a  broad  glare  to  guide  them  in  their  on- 
ward course,  and  along  its  brilliant  pointings  is  the 
world  moving  forward.  The  church  must  not  lag  be- 
hind lest  she  be  pushed  aside,  to  be  passed  by  unnoticed 
and  unhonored;  it  must  go  forward  towards  perfection 
in  every  good  work;  it  must  increase  in  efficiency,  to 
benefit  the  world;  it  must  be  diligent  and  active  in  the 
pursuit  of  every  enterprise  which  claims  its  attention 
and  care ;  its  efforts  abroad,  like  its  efforts  at  home,  must 


[  12  ] 

be  attended  to;  its  great  heart  should  throb  for  the 
world's  salvation,  and  its  broad  arms  should  encircle  all 
mankind — that  is  its  business,  its  duty,  and  should,  must 
be  its  aim;  to  this  end  the  church  must  go  forward  in 
might  and  in  power,  put  on  strength  and  grow  in  grace, 
in  knowledge,  wisdom,  purity,  and  holiness;  for  the 
church  there  lies  the  life  struggle,  the  aim  of  the  church. 
Let  us  of  this  church  see  to  it  that  we  move  forward, 
that  we  make  progress  onward  and  upward.  Our  fathers 
went  forward  in  their  day,  nobly  forward ;  they  did  their 
duty,  and  they  did  it  well ;  so  that  we  now  looking  back 
upon  those  early  times,  though  fifty  years  have  rolled 
away  and  balled  up  all  the  doings  of  those  long,  long 
years,  still  can  we  of  this  later  day,  in  view  of  what  we 
now  know  and  see,  truthfully  exclaim,  "  Well  done,  good 
and  faithful  servants." 

What  was  commanded  the  people  by  the  mouth  of 
Moses  was  commanded  by  a  greater  than  Moses  to  our 
fathers;  they  did  go  forward;  they  have  finished  their 
work,  crossed  over  Jordan,  and  are  now  in  Canaan  and 
at  rest.  The  same  God,  by  the  mouth  of  his  son,  calls 
upon  every  man  and  woman  in  this  church  to  arise  and 
go  forward.  The  labors  and  example  of  our  fathers 
show  we  are  resting,  positively  snugly  encamped  before 
some  Baal  Zephon.  My  brethren,  I  call  upon  you  arise ; 
God  commands  you  to  go  forward;  why  stop  to  com- 
plain, why  to  lament  and  say  O  Lord,  look  upon  us  in 
our  low  estate;  oh,  pity  our  condition;  help  us  in  our 
leanness]  Moses  did  this  very  thing.  God  said  to  him, 
Why  cryest  thou  to  me]  command  the  people  that  they 
go  forward.  And  now  if  you  would  succeed,  work — 
work  while  you  pray ;  for  God  will  help  no  man,  nor 
any  church  that  will  not  help  themselves. 

If  we  would  insure  success  we  must  first  be  diligent 


[  13  ] 

in  what  our  hands  find  to  do ;  we  must  make  progress 
if  we  desire  the  church  tcr  prosper,  and  to  travel  in  the 
greatness  of  her  strength;  you,  my  brethren,  elders  of 
this  church,  must  walk  around  Zion,  view  her  bulwarks 
and  her  towers,  examine  her  walls,  and  see  that  all  is  in 
order,  like  those  fathers  who  once  occupied  the  position 
you  now  fill:  you  must  repair  every  breach,  guard  every 
pass,  secure  every  gate,  and  keep  a  watchful  eye  all 
around  you:  you  are  the  officers  of  this  army  of  our 
King;  lead  on  the  people;  say  to  them  Go  forward,  we 
are  in  an  enemy's  country,  and  our  foes  are  pressing  hard 
upon  us;  we  must  be  up  and  doing;  there  must  be  less 
complaining  and  more  laboring;  less  resting  and  more 
action;  more  of  the  vital  and  practical  workings  of 
Christianity  than  its  desirings;  more  of  the  spirit's 
working  power  among  us  than  forms  and  conventional 
formulas;  in  short,  we  must  go  forward  in  every  good 
word  and  work. 

And  what  is  true  of  us  as  office  bearers  is  true  of  the 
individual  member — for  we  are  after  all  members,  one 
of  another,  all  one  in  Christ,  all  journeying  along  the 
same  pathway  in  life ;  we  have  the  same  hopes  and  fears, 
the  same  common  enemy  to  fight,  the  same  conflicts  with- 
in us  and  without,  the  same  aim  and  end  in  view,  the  same 
heaven  in  prospect,  the  same  God  to  serve,  and  withal 
the  same  road  to  travel  to  reach  our  journey's  end.  Each 
member  of  this  Zion,  then,  is  called  upon  to  go  forward, 
to  throw  aside  every  weight  and  every  burden,  and  the 
sin  that  doth  so  easily  beset  them,  and  run  with  patience 
the  race  that  is  set  before  them,  looking  at  the  same 
time  to  Jesus,  who  is  the  author  and  the  finisher  of  our 
faith.  The  membership  of  a  church  must  have  a  mind 
to  work  if  they  would  see  the  salvation  of  God,  in  many 
souls  being  delivered  from  the  power  of  sin  and  Satan 


and  ushered  into  the  marvellous  light  and  liberty  of 
God's  children.  May  I  call  upon  each  one  to-day  to 
dedicate  himself  afresh  for  this  desirable,  nay  necessary 
end]  But  how  are  we  to  do  this]  Can  it  be  done  alone 
by  praying]  Often  this  proves  a  delusion.  Prayer  of 
course  must  be  used,  by  all  means ;  yet  are  there  other 
essentials  necessary  in  this  work;  there  must  be  an  ear- 
nest, serious,  and  manifest  interest  evidenced  in  us  all 
for  the  glory  of  our  God,  the  conversion  of  souls,  the 
prosperity  of  this  church.  And  what  evidences  this] 
Why,  the  temper  and  spirit  in  which  we  enter  and  labor 
in  it;  the  sacrifices  we  are  making  of  our  time,  our 
means,  and  of  our  ability  to  do,  in  any  way  or  manner, 
what  the  cause  of  our  Redeemer  demands  of  us.  We 
must  let  our  light  shine  before  men ;  not  our  words,  our 
professions,  or  our  formality,  but  our  Christian  princi- 
ples, Christlike  to  do  good,  and  to  communicate — forget 
not.  We  must  be  the  salt  of  the  earth;  our  example 
in  life  and  practice  must  show  to  men  that  we  have  been 
with  Christ  and  have  been  taught  of  him :  this  we  must 
evidence  by  our  daily  life,  daily  conversation,  in  our 
intercourse  with  our  fellow  men,  whether  in  the  house 
or  by  the  wayside,  in  the  workshop,  or  anywhere  else. 
We  must  be  willing  to  do  the  will  of  our  heavenly 
Father,  by  doing  whatever  our  hands  find  to  do;  we 
must  go  forward ;  in  God's  work  there  can  be  no  resting 
point.  In  our  travels  to  the  promised  land  we  must  go 
forward;  God  commands,  it  is  ours  to  obey. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


INTRODUCTORY  REMARKS. 

OUR  Saviour  upon  one  occasion  gave  this  command 
to  his  disciples :  "  Gather  up  the  fragments  that  remain, 
let  nothing  be  lost."  Taking  this  command,  then,  in 
its  strictest  meaning,  we  can  easily  conceive  that  in 
matters  of  public  interest  it  should  be  religiously  ob- 
served. 

"Waiving  every  other  subject  that  has  a  bearing  upon 
this  precious  and  necessary  command  of  our  Lord,  we 
take  up  the  church  as  one  of  the  most  interesting  and 
important  institutions  of  public  concern.  The  Church 
in  all  of  its  branches,  considered  in  their  individual  or- 
ganizations, however  widespread  it  may  be,  in  whatever 
part  of  the  habitable  globe  located,  is  one  harmonious 
whole,  forming  a  unit,  a  oneness,  with  Christ  as  its 
head.  I  do  not  think  that  I  will  be  charged  with  any 
far  stretched  idea  in  making  the  above  assertion ;  who- 
ever reads  the  constitution  which  Christ  has  caused  to 
be  published  for  the  government  of  his  church  on  earth, 
must  necessarily  conclude  with  me,  that  his  church,  his 
visible  or  universal  church,  is  one :  this  follows  from  that 
constitution,  which  is  the  Bible — one  in  its  aim,  one 
in  its  end,  and  one  in  its  use.  To  gather  up  the  history 
of  each  individual  church,  then,  should  be  the  aim  of 
each  disciple  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  order  that  its  exist- 
ence may  be  known. 

If  the  church  on  earth  is  one,  Christ  being  its  head, 
there  is,  therefore,  a  common  interest  binding  them  to- 


[  16  ] 

gether  as  a  common  brotherhood.     As  one  of  our  poets 
beautifully  expresses  it — 

"Our  heavenly  Father  calls, 

Christ  and  His  members  one; 
"VVe  the  young  children  of  his  love, 

And  He  the  first  born  son. 
We  are  but  several  parts 

Of  the  same  broken  bread; 
One  body  hath  its  several  limbs, 

But  Jesus  is  the  head/' 

That  the  history  of  every  church  should  be  known 
seems  equally  clear  from  the  relation  they  sustain  to 
each  other.  That  was  a  significant  remark  made  by 
Paul  to  his  brethren  when  he  said:  "Ye  are  members 
one  of  another ;"  how  forcible  and  expressive  is  this  re- 
mark— members  one  of  another.  There  must  be  some- 
what of  a  family  fie  existing  between  the  churches.  If 
it  be  so,  and  we  cannot  show  why  it  should  not,  then  is 
it  clear  that,  as  in  every  well-ordered  family,  a  know- 
ledge of  each  of  its  members  is  desirable  and  necessary, 
so  is  there  reason  for  a  knowledge  of  each  church  by 
every  member  of  Christ's  mystical  body,  the  church;  and 
however  humble  and  weak  it  may  be,  whatever  peculiar 
circumstance  surrounds  it,  so  much  the  greater  reason 
for  a  knowledge  of  it.  Upon  the  same  principle  that 
our  sympathies  are  moved  rather  toward  the  weakest 
and  most  unfortunate  member  of  a  family,  in  like  manner 
our  interest  in  and  anxiety  for  these  weaker  and  smaller 
members  of  the  Christian  family  should  cluster  around 
to  watch  over  and  be  mindful  of,  simply  on  account  of 
what  has  been  already  stated. 

There  may  be  many  other  reasons  given  why  the 
knowledge  of  no  single  church  of  our  Redeemer  should 
be  lost  to  the  great  family  of  Christians  for  the  want 


[  n  j 

of  a  history.  But  they  are  too  numerous  to  mention 
in  connection  with  the  present  matter  we  have  in  hand. 
I  intend  in  this  publication,  briefly,  though  I  trust  to 
the  satisfaction  and  comprehension  of  all  who  will  favor 
me  by  perusing  these  pages,  to  give  a  history  of  the  first 
African  Presbyterian  Church  in  Philadelphia,  and  in 
fact,  the  first  established,  and  consequently  the  oldest  in 
the  United  States. 

In  giving  the  history  of  this  church,  permit  me,  kind 
reader,  to  say,  that  not  only  the  above  reasons  stated  in- 
fluenced me  to  write  out  the  history  of  this  branch  of 
Christ's  Church,  but  another  reason  induced  me  to  un- 
dertake it.  I  will  state  it. 

When  Luke  was  about  to  write  his  Gospel,  he  pre- 
faced it  with  these  words  to  Theophilus :  "  Forasmuch  as 
many  have  taken  in  hand  to  set  forth  in  order  a  declara- 
tion of  those  things  which  are  most  surely  believed 
among  us,  even  as  they  delivered  them  unto  us  which 
from  the  beginning  were  eye-witnesses  and  ministers  of 
the  Word ;  it  seemed  good  to  me,  also,  having  had  per- 
fect understanding  of  all  things  from  the  very  first,  to 
write  unto  thee,  in  order  that  thou  mightest  know  the 
certainty  of  those  things  wherein  thou  hast  been  in- 
structed." 

Herein,  the  Evangelist  was  more  fortunate  than  my- 
self, for  others  had  taken  in  hand  a  declaration  of  those 
things  necessary  to  be  known.  In  the  case  of  the  first 
African  Church,  no  one  had  undertaken  even  a  brief 
sketch  of  the  rise  of  this  member  of  the  Christian  family : 
my  readers  will  at  once  see  the  reason  why  I  have  un- 
dertaken to  write  its  history — that  it  may  not  be  lost. 
Taking  the  command  of  my  Saviour,  then,  "  Gather  up 
the  fragments,  let  nothing  be  lost,"  I  throw  myself  upon 
your  indulgence,  and  pray  my  Heavenly  Father  to  repay 
2 


[  IS  ] 

you  amply  for  the  time  you  may  appropriate  in  the  peru- 
sal of  these  few  pages,  which  shall  be  condensed  as  much 
as  possible,  without  destroying  the  information  necessary 
to  be  obtained,  and  of  monopolizing  too  much  of  your 
time,  which,  for  aught  I  know,  may  be  more  profitably 
engaged  in  this  age  of  reading. 

About  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  it  be- 
came a  subject  of  considerable  conversation  among  the 
few  colored  people  in  Philadelphia  whose  preferences 
were  Presbyterian,  of  raising  a  Presbyterian  Church. 
This  idea  seemed  to  be  general  among  them ;  but  how  to 
proceed  was  a  matter  of  no  small  difficulty,  for  at  the 
time  there  were  very  few  Presbyterians  in  Philadelphia. 
There  was  one  thing,  however,  that  was  in  their  favor, 
and  it  was  their  firmness  and  determination  not  to  per- 
mit their  smallness  of  number  to  prevent  their  making 
the  effort ;  they  were  Christians  from  principle,  and  their 
hearts  were  in  the  work;  their  zeal  and  energy  gave 
springs  to  their  determination :  with  them  there  was  no 
such  thing  as  fail.  The  only  question  was,  Who  shall 
lead  in  the  movement]  Here  was  the  true  difficulty. 
There  were  true  and  faithful  men  ready  to  give  their 
countenance  and  influence  to  the  work,  but  who  would 
sacrifice  his  business,  his  temporal  prospects  in  life,  his 
time,  his  means,  his  all  of  self]  Here  was  the  difficulty 
to  grapple  with  and  overcome  ;  one  that  not  only  every 
new  enterprise  of  like  character,  but  one  that  the  Church 
has  ever  had  to  contend  with.  Of  the  justness  of  the  as- 
sertion Christians  can  judge;  of  its  correctness  I  am  sure. 
There  were  men  of  acknowledged  ability,  and  other  pre- 
requisites,but  it  required  a  man  who  would  be  willing  to 
make  every  sacrifice  of  his  own  time  and  worldly  interest, 
to  lead  in  the  movement.  For  such  a  man  they  must  wait 
patiently.  It  is  not  in  the  course  of  this  brief  history, 


[  19  ] 

to  discuss  the  question  whether  it  was  necessary  to  form 
a  separate  Church  for  the  use  of  colored  worship- 
pers ;  that  is  a  question  I  take  as  not  forming  any  part 
of  a  Church  history  proper,  unless  there  arose  some  cir- 
cumstance by  which  a  separation  would  be  forced  upon 
the  receding  party.  Let  it  suffice  the  reader  for  me  to 
say,  there  was  no  cause  of  ill-treatment  upon  the  part  of 
existing  organizations  or  Churches,  to  drive  the  colored 
membership  to  seek  a  separation ;  they  could  have  re- 
mained in  connection,  no  doubt,  with  the  churches,  and 
been  respected  as  members  of  it.  Presbyterians  are  re- 
markable for  their  regard  to  each  other,  without  respect 
to  distinctions — it  is  a  characteristic  of  God's  people. 
In  the  case,  then,  of  raising  a  colored  church,  the  pre- 
vailing opinion  seemed  to  be,  'an  organization  of  colored 
people  where  church  government  could  be  committed 
to,  and  governed  by  them,  and  that  without  separating 
from  Presbyterian  bodies,  or  alienating  themselves  from 
their  fellow  Christians.  A  church  was  accordingly 
formed,  and  measures  adopted  to  supply  it  with  preach- 
ing, which  will  be  stated  in  its  proper  place.  There 
seems  to  be  a  providence  in  these  movements  sometimes 
very  remarkable,  and  it  proved  so  in  this  case.  God 
often  "  works  in  a  mysterious  way  His  wonders  to  per- 
form"— for  at  this  particular  and  interesting  time,  Dr. 
Gideon  Blackburn,  a  Presbyterian  clergyman,  arrived  in 
Philadelphia,  bringing  with  him  a  body  servant  or  slave 
called  John  Gloucester,  and  about  whom  much  will  be 
said  during  our  notice  of  the  history  of  the  Church. 
This  man  was  of  deep  piety,  and  well  instructed  in  the 
doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian  faith.  Seeing  that  his 
servant  was  a  man  of  no  ordinary  character,  that  he 
possessed  gifts  and  graces  that  evidently  qualified  him 
for  the  ministry,  Dr.  Blackburn,  it  will  be  seen  in  the 


[  20  ] 

course  of  this  history,  concluded  to  seek  a  place  where 
Mr.  Gloucester  could  exercise  his  gifts  and  graces  in 
preaching  the  Gospel,  for  which  he  was  so  eminently 
qualified.  To  this  end  Dr.  Blackburn  left  Tennessee, 
where  he  resided,  and  visited  Philadelphia.  What  a 
providence  is  here  seen ;  not  merely  a  coincidence,  as 
some  would  say,  but  a  special  providence.  How  does 
this  visit,  at  this  time,  remind  us  of  the  question  of 
Isaac  to  his  Father,  on  Mount  Moriah,  "My  Father, 
here  is  the  altar  and  the  wood,  but  where  is  the  sacri- 
fice 1"  and  in  keeping  with  our  present  subject  is  equally 
significant  the  words  of  Abraham,  "  My  son,  God 
will  provide  a  sacrifice."  In  our  case  it  was  truly  a 
special  providence,  and  it  seems  clear,  for  God  surely 
does  watch  over  the  interests  of  Zion,  and  are  we  not 
told  "that  no  good  thing  will  be  withheld  from  them 
that  walk  uprightly."  So  we  may  safely  argue  that  the 
visit  of  Dr.  Blackburn,  at  this  juncture,  was  providen- 
tially ordered,  and  no  good  reason  can  be  adduced  to  the 
contrary.  However,  it  was  regarded  as  a  favorable  in- 
dication that  God  was  leading  in  the  matter,  and  by  his 
own  mysterious  operation  was  producing  the  materials 
for  establishing  a  church  in  Philadelphia.  In  order, 
therefore,  to  show  more  fully  the  leadings  of  the  Most 
High  toward  this  end,  I  will  direct  attention  more  par- 
ticularly to  the  history  of  Mr.  Gloucester. 


A  BRIEF  REVIEW  OF  MR.  GLOUCESTER,  FIRST  PASTOR  OF 
THE  FIRST  AFRICAN  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 

I  am  led  to  call  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  Mr. 
Gloucester's  history  with  the  Church  for  several  reasons. 
Among  the  most  prominent  are :  first,  he  is  worthy  of 
notice ;  another  is,  he  was  chosen  by  the  Most  High, 


[  21  ] 

through  His  Church,  to  lead  this  people  ;  one  other  is, 
that  considering  his  labors  in  the  church,  it  necessarily 
becomes  interesting ;  the  last  I  shall  offer  is  the  exhorta- 
tion of  Paul,  "  Kemember  them  which  have  the  rule 
over  you,  who  have  spoken  unto  you  the  Word  of  God." 

The  first  intimation  had  of  Mr.  Gloucester  was  de- 
rived from  the  minutes  of  the  Presbytery  of  Union, 
Synod  of  Tennessee,  to  the  General  Assembly,  in  1807, 
presented  to  that  body  by  the  Committee  of  Overtures, 
requesting  advice  in  relation  to  the  licensure  of  Mr.  John 
Gloucester.  The  case  was  handed  over  to  a  committee 
appointed  by  the  General  Assembly,  consisting  of  Messrs. 
Clark,  Miller,  and  Samuel  Brown,  with  instructions  to 
report  as  early  as  possible.  After  due  time  the  Com- 
mittee made  the  following  report : — 

"  Whereas,  From  the  communication  of  the  Presby- 
tery of  Union,  it  appears  that  John  Gloucester  has  been 
for  some  time  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of  Union, 
that  in  the  opinion  of  Presbytery  he  possesses  promis- 
ing talents  and  eminent  piety ;  that  he  has  been  for  seve- 
ral years  engaged  in  the  study  of  literature  and  theology, 
but  has  not  yet  obtained  all  the  literary  qualifications 
required  in  candidates  for  licensure.  and  if  he  were 
licensed  there  is  much  reason  to  believe  he  might  be 
highly  useful  in  preaching  the  Gospel  among  his  own 
people ;  and  Whereas,  said  Presbytery  requests  the  ad- 
vice of  the  General  Assembly,  therefore 

"  Resolved,  That  the  General  Assembly,  considering 
the  circumstances  of  the  particular  base,  viz.,  the  evi- 
dence of  unusual  talents,  discretion,  and  piety,  possessed 
by  John  Gloucester,  the  good  reason  there  is  to  believe 
that  he  may  be  highly  useful  in  preaching  the  Gospel 
among  people  of  his  own  color,  and  the  various  difficul- 
ties likely  to  attend  a  further  delay  in  proceeding  in  this 


[  22  ] 

case,  the  General  Asjembly  did  and  hereby  do  author- 
ize the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  to  consider  the  case 
of  John  Gloucester,  and  if  they  think  proper,  to  license 
him  to  preach  the  Gospel."  Extr.  Min.  1807,  pp.  381, 
387. 

The  communication  from  the  Presbytery  of  Union 
(Tennessee),  that  elicited  the  above  action  of  the  Gene- 
ral Assembly,  as  deduced  from  the  resolution  of  the 
General  Assembly,  may  not  be  unimportant,  as  it  shows 
clearly  the  reasonableness  of  the  action  of  the  Assem- 
bly under  the  circumstances,  and  will  go  far  to  recom- 
mend to  the  favorable  notice  of  the  general  reader,  the 
character  of  Mr.  Gloucester. 

It  will  not  be  out  of  place  here,  to  bring  before  the 
reader  the  action  of  the  Philadelphia  Presbytery,  sitting 
in  the  second  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  City  of  Phil- 
adelphia, July  7,  1807,  the  following  members  of  Pres- 
bytery being  present:  Dr.  Wm.  Tennant,  Archibald 
Alexander,  George  C.  Potts,  Jacob  T.  Janeway,  and 
James  P.  Wilson,  Ministers;  Messrs.  Benjamin  Weeks, 
Hugh  Henry,  and  John  Harris,  Elders.  The  Presby- 
tery having  ascertained  that  this  meeting  was  agreeable 
to  constitutional  rules,  summoned  with  a  view  to  take 
into  consideration  the  case  of  John  Gloucester,  referred 
to  them  by  the  last  General  Assembly,  chose  Mr.  Alex- 
ander for  Moderator,  and  Mr.  Janeway  for  Clerk. 

The  case  was  then  taken  into  consideration,  when, 
after  reading  the  document  laid  before  the  Presbytery 
relative  to  Mr.  Gloucester,  and  having  maturely  delib- 
erated on  the  circumstances  in  his  case,  the  Presbytery 
were  of  opinion  that  as  he  has  been  educated  under  care 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Union,  and  as  they  are  fully  com- 
petent to  decide  on  his  case,  and  will  be  able  to  decide 
with  more  understanding  than  this  Presbytery  could 


[  23  ] 

without  having  more  time  than  his  circumstances  will 
allow,  it  was,  on  motion,  Resolved,  Not  to  take  said 
John  Gloucester  on  trial  with  a  view  to  licensure.  Or- 
dered, that  the  stated  clerk  furnish  Mr.  Gloucester  with 
a  copy  of  the  above  minute. 

This  seeming  discouragement  did  not,  however,  cool 
the  ardor  of  Mr.  Gloucester's  zeal,  or  determination  to 
labor  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  He  understood  the  mo- 
tive of  this  presbyterial  course  was  to  put  the  case  where 
it  properly  belonged,  and  that  in  view  of  all  the  facts  in 
his  peculiar  case,  it  was  the  proper  course.  He  at  once 
yielded  to  the  decision  of  Presbytery,  and  returned  to 
Tennessee,  within  the  bounds  of  his  Presbytery,  and 
awaited  their  action.  Here  we  may  gather  a  reflection, 
and  at  once  decide  that  there  was  an  excellent  spirit  in 
the  man;  there  was  a  patience  and  resignation  that 
would  grace  the  character  of  any  professing  Christian. 

It  will  be  perceived  that  the  action  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Presbytery  was  on  July  7,  1807,  and  on  April  16, 
1811,  the  Philadelphia  Presbytery,  sitting  in  Philadel- 
phia, in  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church,  Dr.  Alexander, 
Moderator,  we  obtain  the  following  information : — 

"  The  testimonials  of  Rev.  John  Gloucester  were  exhibited  to  Presby- 
tery, and  ordered  to  be  recorded  on  the  minutes,  as  follows  : — 

''Extract  of  a  minute  of  the  Presbytery  of  Union  (Tennessee),  Ba- 
ker's Creek,  April  30, 1810. — Immediately  after  the  ordination  sermon, 
Mr.  Gloucester  having  satisfactorily  answered  the  questions  usually  put 
to  candidates  on  such  occasions,  the  Presbytery  proceeded  to  set  apart, 
and  did  solemnly  ordain  the  said  John  Gloucester,  by  prayer  and  the 
laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  Presbytery.  The  right  hand  of  fellow- 
ship being  duly  given,  and  he  solemnly  charged  to  the  faithful  discharge 
of  his  duty,  he  was  ordered  as  soon  as  possible  to  repair  to  the  City  of 
Philadelphia,  and  directed  to  join  the  Presbytery  of  that  city,  whereby 
he  is  recommended  as  a  man  of  fair  morals  and  upright  conduct,  both 


[  24  ] 

as  a  man,  a  Christian,  and  a  minister,  and  is  recommended  to  the  faith- 
ful care  and  Christian  attention  of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia. 

GIDEON  BLACKBURN,  Moderator. 
JOSEPH  B.  LAPSLEY,  Clerk. 
"  Dated  May  1st,  1810." 

Whereupon,  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia 

Resolved,  That  Mr.  Gloucester  be  and  he  is  hereby 
received  as  a  member  of  this  Presbytery. 

It  is  not  to  be  understood  that,  during  this  time, 
the  interesting  effort  of  organizing  the  church  was  in 
any  way  abated  or  suffered  to  flag  for  the  want  of  care 
or  attention  from  friends  favorable  to  the  movement. 
In  the  proper  place  I  shall  show  that  during  the  time 
that  intervened  between  the  action  of  the  two  Presby- 
teries and  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Gloucester,  he  riot 
only  labored  himself,  assisted  by  the  ministers  of  the 
Presbytery,  but  that  the  infant  church  was  raised,  or- 
ganized, and  progressing  very  encouragingly.  I  make 
this  digression  from  the  regular  record  of  proceeding  in 
the  course  of  a  history,  from  the  fact  that  this  case  of 
Mr.  Gloucester,  from  its  peculiarity,  warrants  it.  His 
peculiar  condition  prevents  me  from  a  regularity  in  re- 
cording much  of  his  history,  and  the  state  of  things  at 
that  early  time  in  relation  to  him,  prevented  the  Pres- 
byteries from  acting  as  they  would  in  ordinary  cases 
coming  before  them ;  hence  the  seeming  discrepancies 
that  appear  in  the  narrative.  In  view  of  keeping  this 
record  clear,  I  must  refer  back  to  Mr.  Gloucester's  case 
from  the  time  that  it  was  first  brought  before  the  Gene- 
ral Assembly,  in  1807,  and  sitting,  as  I  have  shown,  in 
Lexington,  Kentucky. 

In  several  of  the  general  assemblies  it  was  a  matter 
of  considerable  interest  to  many  of  the  members  as  it 
regards  the  religious  training  of  colored  people ;  it  was 


[  25  ] 

most  generally  conceded  that  it  should  be  done  through 
missionary  effort.  To  this  end,  a  Mr.  John  Chavis,  a 
colored  man,  was  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  assembly, 
and  recommended  as  a  man  of  good  literary  acquire- 
ments ;  he  was  subsequently  received,  licensed,  and 
ordained.  This  was  in  the  year  1801.  {Gen.  Assembly 
Digest,  page  206.)  Mr.  Alexander  sought  to  obtain  his 
service  for  Philadelphia,  but  failed.  Lexington  claimed 
and  obtained  his  service  to  labor  within  their  bounds. 

The  General  Assembly  sitting  in  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
in  1807,  John  Gloucester  was  recommended  to  the  Assem- 
bly, by  the  Presbytery  of  Union  Synod  of  Tennessee,  as 
a  candidate  for  licensure  to  labor  as  a  missionary  among 
colored  people.  Dr.  Alexander  at  once  seized  upon  the 
circumstance  as  a  favorable  opportunity  of  securing  the 
services  of  Mr.  Gloucester  in  forwarding  and  carrying 
out  his  long  cherished  desire  of  raising  up  a  church  in 
Philadelphia.  He  lost  no  time  in  communicating  with 
Dr.  Blackburn,  the  owner  of  Mr.  Gloucester,  who  at 
once  acceded  to  the  proposal,  and  consented  that  Mr. 
Gloucester  should,  as  the  incipient  step  to  his  future 
labors,  visit  Philadelphia  as  soon  as  possible. 

Accordingly,  Dr.  Blackburn,  attended  by  Mr.  Glou- 
cester, arrived  in  Philadelphia  immediately  after  the 
rise  of  the  General  Assembly.  Drs.  Alexander  and 
Green  were  not  long  arriving  at  a  conclusion  in  view  of 
so  favorable  an  opportunity. 

As  the  Evangelical  Society  (which  will  be  noticed 
more  particularly  hereafter)  had  taken,  or  adopted 
measures  for  organizing  the  colored  people  into  a  Pres- 
byterian Church,  Dr.  Alexander  proposed  to  Dr.  Black- 
burn, that  Mr.  Gloucester  be  employed  by  the  Evangelical 
Society  to  labor  as  a  missionary  among  the  colored  people. 
I  am  credibly  informed  by  a  gentleman  conversant  with 


[  26  ] 

the  facts,  and  who  is  one  of  the  very  few  remaining  who 
remember  the  doings  of  those  early  times,  that  Drs. 
Green,  Janeway,  Potts,  and  Alexander,  together  with 
Messrs.  McMullin,  Markoe,  and  Ralston,  joined  their 
earnest  importunities  in  favor  of  obtaining  the  services 
of  Mr.  Gloucester.  To  these  importunities  Dr.  Black- 
burn yielded,  relinquishing,  on  his  part,  all  pay  or 
emolument  from  any  labor  that  Mr.  Gloucester  might 
perform  as  a  missionary  among  the  people,  and  freeing 
him  at  the  same  time  from  "  any  service  or  labor  which 
to  him  (Dr.  Blackburn)  may  be  due."  Mr.  Gloucester 
was  not  long  in  Philadelphia  before  a  wide  door  was 
opened  unto  him  for  preaching  the  Word  of  life  to  many 
anxious  people ;  he,  too,  was  not  long  deciding  upon  his 
proper  course  of  action ;  he  saw  the  field  white  for  the 
harvest,  and  few  laborers  therein ;  looking  to  God,  he 
stripped  himself  for  the  work,  and  cheerfully  entered 
upon  his  duties.  He  first  commenced  his  missionary 
efforts  by  preaching  in  private  houses ;  but  such  were  the 
number  of  people  that  attended  his  ministry,  that  in  a 
very  short  time  no  private  house  could  be  found  to  con- 
tain the  people  that  flocked  to  hear  him  expound  God's 
Word.  It  was  very  evident  that  the  time  had  come 
when  it  must  be  said  This  place  is  too  narrow  for  us. 
The  result  of  this  success  led  to  street  preaching.  He 
notified  the  people  that,  at  least  in  clear  weather,  he 
should  preach  at  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Shippen 
Streets;  and,  when  the  weather  was  not  favorable,  he 
had  obtained  the  use  of  a  school-house  near  by.  To 
these  places  his  hearers  resorted,  and  there  each  con- 
secutive Sabbath,  this  devoted  servant  of  God  preached 
the  Gospel  'to  a  large  number  of  serious  hearers. 
Through  these  meetings  this  branch  of  Christ's  Church 
was  gathered,  and,  from  the  most  reliable  information 


[27  ] 

derived  from  one  who  was  interested  in  raising  this 
church,  did  Drs.  Alexander  and  Green,  assisted  by  other 
friends  of  the  cause,  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  1807, 
organize  this  church  to  be  known  and  distinguished  as 
the  First  African  Presbyterian  Church,  and  as  such  was 
received  by  the  Assembly's  Committee  on  Missions,  and, 
as  in  other  cases,  provision  made  and  provided  accord- 
ingly. 

From  this  time,  Mr.  Gloucester  had  to  labor  almost 
alone  in  this  arduous  work.  Nor  are  we  to  understand 
that  he  was  without  opposition — it  would  be  an  anomaly 
in  Christian  enterprise — sectarian  bigotry  is  the  same 
bitter,  malignant  enemy  to  all  that  is  not  of  its  cast,  and 
knows  no  change.  Like  its  father,  the  devil,  it  goes 
about,  seeking  whom  it  may  devour.  And  not  only  in 
that  particular  respect,  but,  as  it  were,  he  had  princi- 
palities and  powers,  and  spiritual  wickedness  in  high 
places  to  contend  against.  There  were  influences  brought 
to  bear  directly  upon  him  that  were  intended  to  crush 
in  the  bud  the  least  appearance  of  establishing  a  Pres- 
byterian church.  It  can  be  seen  that  Mr.  Gloucester 
did  not  have  a  free  wind  and  full  tide  to  waft  him  gently 
onwards;  but  otherwise,  there  were  those  around  him 
who  professedly  were  friendly,  and  seemingly  much  in- 
terested in  his  welfare,  but  whose  real  designs  were 
selfish  and  mean,  and  who  persuaded  him  that  it  was  a 
waste  of  time  for  him  to  attempt,  in  Philadelphia,  to 
raise  a  Presbyterian  church,  that  the  people  in  heart 
were  Methodist,  and  would  finally  all  be  received  into 
Methodist  churches. 

With  many,  the  doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
were  in  bad  odor,  and  they  failed  not  to  make  capital  of 
it ;  others  were  "  careful  for  none  of  these  things."  So 
it  can  be  perceived  that  it  required  a  man  of  no  ordinary 


[  28  ] 

nerve  and  large  share  of  the  grace  of  God  in  his  heart 
to  battle  with  and  overcome  these  opposing  forces.  Mr. 
Gloucester  was  the  man  for  the  occasion  and  the  time ; 
opposition  could  never  deter  him  from  duty ;  if  God  was 
for  him,  he  cared  not  who  was  against  him  ;  in  Christ 
lay  all  his  strength  and  hope  of  success.  Naturally,  he 
was  of  a  strong  mind,  as  well  as  of  stout,  athletic  frame, 
with  a  voice  the  deep  tones  of  which  fell  powerfully  on 
the  ear — he  preached  the  Word.  He  was  also  a  very 
sweet  singer,  and  it  is  said  of  him  that  such  was  the 
melody  and  rich  tones  of  his  voice  that,  whenever  he 
sang,  a  volume  of  music  would  roll  from  his  mouth, 
charming  and  enchaining,  as  by  a  spell,  the  listening 
audience,  and  holding  them  in  sweet  suspense  until  he 
would  cease  to  sing,  when  the  spell  would  be  broken  and 
the  people  relieved,  determined  upon  the  first  occasion 
to  return  and  enjoy  the  labors  of  this  devoted  man  as  he 
broke  unto  them  the  bread  of  life,  and  sang  again  ano- 
ther of  those  songs  of  Zion.  In  prayer  he  was  mighty ; 
such  was  the  fervor  and  energy,  such  his  wrestling 
when  engaged,  that  souls  have  fallen  under  its  power, 
deeply  convicted  of  sin.  An  anecdote  is  related  of  him, 
soon  after  his  arrival  in  Philadelphia,  that  ought  not  to 
be  lost.  I  will  take  this  opportunity  of  relating  it : — 

Mr.  Gloucester  boarded  with  a  man  whose  name  was 
Jacob  Craig,  and  whose  wife  was  a  very  pious  woman, 
and  who  attended  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Gloucester  in  his 
open  air  preaching.  Mr.  Craig  was  a  sailmaker  by 
occupation,  but  at  the  same  time  was  a  great  fiddler, 
and  being  such,  was  a  source  of  unhappiness  to  his  wife. 
After  his  daily  toil  was  over,  and  Mr.  Jacob  Craig  be- 
came somewhat  rested,  he  would  invariably  wile  away 
the  evening  by  playing  his  fiddle,  to  the  annoyance  of 
his  wife.  Jacob  was  not  like  Jacob  of  old;  he  knew 


[  29  ] 

more  of  his  fiddle  than  of  his  God,  and  perhaps  loved  it 
more.  Things  went  on  this  way  nntil  Mr.  Gloucester 
proposed  to  Sister  Craig  that  they  should  hold  a  series 
of  prayer  meetings  at  her  house.  It  was  accepted,  and 
Mr.  Jacob  Craig  was  duly  informed.  At  first  he  objected, 
but  his  wife,  true  as  steel  to  her  purpose  and  faithful  to 
her  God,  pressed  her  cause  so  earnestly  to  her  husband 
that  he  consented,  determined,  however,  to  hire  a  room 
adjoining  the  prayer  meeting,  and  so  annoy  them  by 
continuing  to  play  his  fiddle.  This  he  put  into  practice, 
so  that  whilst  there  was  praying  in  one  apartment,  there 
was  Mr.  Craig  fiddling  in  the  other.  Here  there  was  a 
difficulty  as  to  who  should  yield  in  this.  Mr.  Glouces- 
ter's advice  was  sought.  He  replied,  that  for  his  part  he 
was  contented  to  remain  where  he  was ;  it  was  an  open 
field  and  a  fair  fight,  and  that  was  all  he  asked.  From 
that  decision  there  was  no  appeal — God  approved  it.  In 
a  few  nights  after,  there  was  no  sound  of  a  fiddle  heard. 
A  few  evenings  after,  Mr.  Jacot^Draig  came  home  and 
attended,  for  the  first  time,  the  prayer  meeting ;  he  had 
given  up  the  room  and  stopped  playing ;  a  very  little  while 
after  he  was  seen  to  weep,  then  heard  to  exclaim :  "  God 
have  mercy  on  me,  a  poor  miserable  man."  The  battle 
was  fought — the  prize  was  won ;  the  Lord  had  mercy 
on  the  man — he  was  converted,  and  afterwards  set  apart 
as  an  elder  in  Seventh  Street  Church,  under  Mr.  Glou- 
cester, through  whose  instrumentality  he  was  brought 
into  the  fold  of  Christ,  and  into  the  marvellous  light  and 
liberty  of  His  children,  and  continued  in  the  Church  a 
pious,  devoted,  and  faithful  Christian  until  the  day  of 
his  death,  and  we  hope  has  entered  into  that  rest  that 
remains  for  the  people  of  God. 

Of  Mr.  Gloucester's  early  history  very  little  is  known ; 
this  is  not  surprising,  considering  the  peculiarity  of  his 


[  30  ] 

condition,  being  once  a  slave,  but  having  been  converted 
to  God  under  the  preaching  of  Dr.  Blackburn,  and  evi- 
dencing after  that  such  piety  and  devotion,  that  Dr. 
Blackburn,  struck  with  the  excellency  of  the  man,  and 
the  intelligence  of  one  in  his  condition,  he  was  induced 
to  purchase  him,  it  is  said,  and  we  have  every  reason  to 
believe  the  assertion  true,  that  Dr.  Blackburn  took  par- 
ticular pains  to  educate  Mr.  Gloucester,  and  so  prepare 
and  qualify  him  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  In  this 
respect  Dr.  Blackburn  deserves  all  credit,  for  Mr.  Glou- 
cester was  indeed  a  "  workman  that  needed  not  to  be 
ashamed,"  for  he  knew  well  how  to  divide  the  Word  of 
life,  giving  to  each  his  portion  in  due  season.  This  no 
doubt  accounts  for  the  number  of  persons  that  waited 
or  attended  upon  his  ministry — and  it  is  a  fact  that  his 
deep  piety  and  earnest  devotion  to  his  calling  made 
him  very  many  friends  from  among  the  rich  and  influ- 
ential citizens  of  Philadelphia;  he  not  only  had  the 
warm  and  abiding  friendship  of  such  men  as  Drs. 
Alexander,  Green,  Janeway  and  Potts,  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  churches  then  in  Philadelphia, 
but  Dr.  Rush,  the  world-wide  known  philanthropist  of 
Philadelphia,  was  almost  a  regular  attendant  wherever 
he  preached,  and  many  other  citizens  of  influence  were 
frequent  visitors  upon  his  stated  ministry.  Messrs. 
McMullin,  Markoe,  Ralston,  Jenkins,  Sawyer,  and 
lady,  encouraged  his  heart  and  strengthened  his  hands, 
and  by  their  presence  and  support  under  God  lightened 
his  labors  and  cheered  him  in  his  duties.  The  various 
Presbyterian  churches  in  the  city  were  also  interested 
in  his  favor,  and  took  a  deep  interest  in  his  efforts  to 
raise  this  church. 

Mr.  Gloucester  was  also  diligent  in  his  calling,  and 
of  fervent  spirit — necessary  qualities  for  a  minister  of 


[  31  ] 

Jesus,  who,  like  his  master,  would  leave  his  footprints 
on  time,  and  his  impressions  on  the  world— the  laborer 
in  the  field  must  work  if  he  would  glean  the  harvest — 
he  must,  like  the  racer,  stretch  every  nerve  to  reach  the 
goal  if  he  would  win  the  prize  and  take  the  crown — so 
thought  this  humble  servant  of  the  Most  High.  He 
lost  no  time  whatever;  to  wear  out  was  his  motto,  to 
rust  out  never.  He  knew,  as  he  often  said,  his  days 
were  few,  and  he  would  spend  them  to  the  best  advan- 
tage and  to  the  glory  of  his  God.  He  had  a  presenti- 
ment that  his  day  was  well  spent,  and  the  night  of  his 
death  was  at  hand.  Thus  we  find  him  only  living 
to  live  again  in  regions  of  light,  life,  and  immortality 
beyond  this  vale  of  tears,  this  land  of  suffering  and  toil. 
It  is  said  by  one  of  the  remaining  few  left  from  those 
long  years — long  fled  in  the  past,  that  each  succeeding 
Sabbath  as  early  as  6  o'clock  in  the  morning  would  Mr. 
Gloucester  come  and  stand  at  the  corner  of  Seventh  and 
Shippen  Sts.,  and  there,  by  a  hymn  of  praise  which  few 
could  sing  so  sweetly  as  he,  draw  together  a  large  con- 
course of  people ;  then,  taking  advantage  of  the  circum- 
stance, would  take  some  passage  of  Scripture  and  preach 
the  Word  of  life  to  the  people ;  and  such  was  the  moral 
influence  acting  upon  the  minds  of  the  persons  keeping 
dram  shops  in  the  neighborhood  for  the  sale  of  that 
soul  and  body  destroying  agent,  ardent  spirits,  that 
they  would  not  open  their  groggeries  until  meeting,  as 
they  called  it,  was  over,  and  Mr.  Gloucester  retired.  I 
do  not  presume  too  much  when  I  say  that  from  the  time 
he  first  commenced  his  labors  in  Philadelphia  to  the 
time  when  that  fell  destroyer  of  ministers,  consumption, 
laid  hold  upon  his  vitals,  and  which  terminated  his 
useful  life  on  the  2d  May,  in  the  year  1822,  he 
labored  with  the  same  zeal  and  diligence  as  made  him 


[  32] 

the  ever  faithful  pastor.  As  it  regarded  his  manner  of 
preaching  it  was  remarkable.  He  abounded  in  anec- 
dotes, for  he  was  a  close  observer  of  everything  that 
was  transpiring  around  him,  and  having  travelled  ex- 
tensively and  gathered  much  information  therefrom, 
he  could  illustrate  his  subjects  to  the  comprehension  of 
all  classes  of  his  hearers  from  things  seen,  and,  like  his 
great  teacher  the  Lord  Jesus,  whose  life  and  example 
he  sought  to  imitate,  he  had  the  peculiar  faculty  of 
drawing  abundantly  from  the  book  of  nature  a  variety 
of  subjects,  and  adapting  and  applying  them  to  some 
text  of  Scripture  so  easily  comprehended  as  to  give  a 
point  and  edge  to  his  subject  that  convinced  and  cut 
into  the  consciences  of  sinners,  convincing  them  of 
the  truth  of  God's  Word.  His  manner  was  bold,  his 
voice  clear  and  loud.  In  his  invitations  to  the  trembling 
mourner  and  earnest  inquirer  he  was  interestingly  mild 
and  inviting ;  but  to  the  careless  sinner,  in  his  denun- 
ciations he  was  terrible.  The  flashes  of  his  eye,  in  con- 
trast with  his  tall,  commanding  and  noble  figure,  his 
gestures  at  the  same  time  giving  a  cast  to  his  earnest- 
ness of  soul,  at  once  struck  and  awed  the  most  way- 
ward and  inconsiderate ;  it  has  been  said  of  him  "  he 
was  wise  to  win  souls." 

Mr.  Gloucester  was  not  only  a  faithful  man  in  his  pulpit, 
but  out  of  it;  he  visited  extensively  among  his  people,  not 
only  among  his  own  followers  or  members,  but  wherever 
he  could  find  access.  The  poor,  the  lowly,  the  outcast 
found  in  him  an  adviser,  a  friend.  In  this  he  was  the 
reformer  as  well  as  the  Gospel  minister.  He  became,  so 
to  speak,  all  things  unto  all  men,  that  by  all  means  he 
might  save  some.  He  had  the  peculiar  gift  of  entering  into 
the  feelings  of  the  people.  If  he  saw  anything  wrong 
among  the  families  he  visited,  in  their  domestic  matters 


[  33  ] 

— Whether  it  was  in  person  for  the  want  of  care  and 
attention  to  cleanliness — to?  never  failed  to  impress  upon 
them  how  necessary,  in  order  to  health  and  respectability, 
this  necessary  observance.  If  they  were  careless  of 
their  children,  not  training  them  properly  and  taking 
care  to  keep  them  in  becoming  attire,  and  sending  them 
to  school  regularly  and  punctually  to  time,  he  would 
never  leave  that  house  until  he  had  given  a  lecture  upon 
parental  duties  to  children ;  and  so  wherever  he  went  he 
instructed  the  people  on  moral  training,  and  preached 
to  them  the  Gospel  of  the  Son  of  God.  "  In  labors  there- 
fore he  was  abundant."  I  will  take  occasion  here  to 
remark  that  Mr.  Gloucester  during  his  life,  and  in  the 
discharge  of  his  pastoral  duties  over  the  Church,  kept  a 
day  school  for  the  education  of  children,  and  in  which 
department  of  labor  he  took  considerable  delight.  It 
was  not  to  him  the  least  interesting  part  of  his  duties, 
for  he  was  fond  of  children,  a  peculiarity  by  no  means 
discreditable  to  him.  From  it  in  connection  with  the 
Sabbath  school  a  nursery  was  in  training  wherein  was 
to  be  reared  trees  of  righteousness  that  in  God's  own 
time  were  to  bloom  in  the  garden  of  the  Lord,  and 
be  established  in  the  mountains  of  his  house. 

What  an  auxiliary,  also,  to  the  Sabbath  School. 
Many  now  living  can  attest,  that  through  this  school 
they  were  brought  under  the  direct  training  of  the  min- 
ister. So  it  can  be  perceived,  in  this  case,  that  being 
taught  each  day,  they  became  habituated  to  his  instruc- 
tions, in  his  manner  and  mode  ;  thus,  in  a  large  majority 
of  cases,  pupils  learn  to  reverence  and  honor  the  teacher. 
By  this  course  there  is  laid  up  in  the  youthful  mind  the 
buddings  of  future  confidence  and  respect,  that  time  nor 
influence  can  never  completely  eradicate,  but  will  more 
or  less  exert  a  beneficial  control  over  the  conduct  of  the 
3 


[  34] 

mature  man ;  and  besides  this,  the  early  impressions  of 
youth  linger  around  the  memory,  and  delight  to  cluster 
in  old  age  the  memories  of  its  youth ;  hence  our  paren- 
tal love,  our  strong  affection  for  early  friends,  and  so  far 
are  we  influenced  by  it,  that  even  inanimate  objects  have 
a  degree  of  importance  and  regard  attached  to  them  ; 
whether  it  be  a  stone  by  the  wayside,  or  an  old  oak  tree, 
are  memory's  treasures  dear  and  precious.  For  our 
Christian  teachers  this  is  remarkably  true,  children  ever 
retain  for  their  instructors  a  regard  little  short  of  pa- 
rental affection;  hence  the  veneration  that  the  young 
entertained  for  Mr.  Gloucester. 

I  once  before  intimated,  that  during  Mr.  Gloucester's 
ministry,  he  was  not  without  his  troubles.  I  will  take 
the  occasion  now,  however,  to  say  that  he  had  the  pecu- 
liar trait  or  tact  of  restraining  within  bounds  the  turbu- 
lent dispositions  of  men,  controlling  within  proper  limits 
those  unnatural  flashes  that  sometimes  gleam  out  of  re- 
ligious assemblies  in  murmurings  and  complaints.  In 
this  peculiar  quality  he  was  fortunate.  His  situation 
\vas  a  trying  one,  particularly  when  we  consider  that  his 
congregation  was  a  mixed  one,  made  up  of  some  who 
had  come  from  other  churches,  each  holding  more  or 
less  peculiar  views  of  his  own,  others  from  a  convic- 
tion of  duty  to  God  and  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin ; 
these  were  from  the  world,  snatched  from  the  very  jaws 
of  the  lion  ;  still  they  were  unacquainted  with  govern- 
ment, and  had  to  be  broken  in  to  the  rule  and  order  of 
the  church.  In  a  new  organization  such  as  the  one  I 
am  now  treating  on,  there  cannot  be  much  wonder  that 
discordant  elements  among  them  should  exist,  and  it  can 
be  seen,  also,  that  no  small  amount  of  wisdom  and  pru- 
dence, as  well  as  grace,  is  required  to  govern  and  guide 
a  congregation  thus  constituted ;  still  it  is  true,  that  if 


[  35  ] 

men  would  consult  God's  will  and  word,  more  than  they 
do  their  own  predilections  and  passions,  none  of  these 
things  could  possibly  exist. 

Another  view  of  Mr.  Gloucester's  history  may  not  be 
uninteresting,  upon  which  I  will  direct  attention.  Mr. 
Gloucester  had  considerable  labor  to  undergo  during  his 
brief  ministerial  career:  not  only  the  care  and  burden  of 
the  Church,  not  only  the  hopes  of  the  people  confiding 
in  him  filled  his  heart  and  soul  with  much  anxiety,  but 
there  was  his  wife  and  four  children  in  slavery ;  it  was 
not  possible  for  him  to  rest  quiet  and  at  ease  under  such 
a  circumstance  as  that !  O  no,  these  must  be  redeemed 
from  bondage,  and  hence  we  account  for  the  reason  why 
it  was  that  he  was  so  often  absent  from  his  Church  and 
Presbytery. 

He  travelled  extensively  in  the  States  of  the  Union, 
in  nearly  every  principal  city  north  and  south,  raising 
collections  or  contributions  in  order  to  purchase  the 
freedom  of  his  family,  and  he  met  with  kind  friends  who 
afforded  him  every  assistance,  and  so  near  his  heart  did 
this  matter  lie,  and  to  such  an  extent  did  it  excite  him, 
that  when  he  found  that  all  the  means  necessary  for  the 
redemption  of  his  wife  and  children  could  not  be  ob- 
tained in  the  United  States,  he  crossed  the  ocean  and 
landed  in  England,  and  plead  for  money  to  buy  his 
family.  He  was  successful,  and  returned  to  America, 
purchased  them,  rejoiced  to  have  them  free,  to  call  them 
his,  to  see  them  settled  in  Philadelphia,  happy  and 
cheerful,  and  then  to  give  himself  again  to  the  labors 
of  the  ministry  in  building  up  the  church:  surely,  like 
the  great  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  "HI  labors  he  was 
abundant,"  and  in  comparison  to  many  ministers,  he 
"  labored  more  abundantly  than  they."  Contemplating 
him  from  this  standpoint,  I  might  ask  did  he  not  de- 


serve  the  respect  as  well  as  sympathy  of  every  Christian 
and  enlightened  heart  ? — and  he  possessed  it,  and  I  am 
pleased  to  record  that  many  were  the  testimonials  he 
received  from  such.  Among  the  many  that  might  be 
inserted  in  this  biography  of  him,  I  will  take  the  liber- 
ty of  asserting,  that  the  success  attending  his  efforts 
to  obtain  the  freedom  of  his  family,  in  Europe  and  the 
United  States,  is  unmistakable  proof  of  a  deep  and 
abiding  sympathy  in  his  favor. 

In  closing  this  brief  history  of  Mr.  Gloucester,  I  must 
not  permit  to  escape  the  notice  of  an  instance  of  deep 
concern  felt  for  him  by  a  lady  of  Philadelphia,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  which,  if  duly  con- 
sidered, will  go  very  far"  to  show  that  his  labors  were  not 
only  approved,  but  a  decided  mark  was  made  on  the 
public  mind,  through  the  course  pursued  by  him  in  his 
instructions  to  his  people.  The  letter  herein  inserted 
is  from  Mrs.  Grace  Douglass,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Robert 
Douglass,  one  of  the  original  founders  of  the  Church  so 
frequently  alluded  to  in  this  history.  The  letter  was 
written  to  Rev.  John  Gloucester  when  in  Europe. 

PHILADELPHIA,  Feb.  28th,  1819. 

DEAR  FRIEND  :  Being  in  meeting  this  morning,  I  felt  a  little  ex- 
ercised that  I  might  be  useful  in  promoting  the  glory  of  our  Master 
and  the  good  of  my  fellow-creatures.  The  professing  part  of  your 
congregation  in  particular,  seemed  to  be  upon  my  mind,  and  Oh, 
thought  1,  if  they  would  be  persuaded  to  try  a  little  of  my  experi- 
ence it  might  do  them  good  in  a  temporal  way,  as  I  do  not  feel  quali- 
fied in  spiritual  things.  It  has  been  said  by  our  enemies  among  the 
whiles,  that  it  is  doing  us  harm  to  set  us  free  :  we  cannot,  say  they, 
maintain  ourselves  decently  arid  respectably.  Some  of  them  must 
manage  for  us.  To.  prove  which,  they  bid  us  look  around  and  see 
the  many  poor  distressed  objects  of  our  color  with  which  this  city 
abounds,  where  we  have  every  encouragement  to  do  well  for  ourselves 
overlooking  the  manner  in  which  most  of  us  have  been  brought  up. 
Very  many,  in  great  families  where  they  live  on  the  best,  dress  in  the 


[  37  ] 

finest  and  most  fashionable  clothing.  They  have  had  everything  pro- 
vided for  the  body  without  their  thought  or  care.  Man  being  an 
imitative  animal,  of  course  they  carry  these  customs  into  their  own 
families.  They  work  hard,  therefore  they  have  money  to  spend,  and 
must  enjoy  it  in  the  way  they  have  seen  others  do.  And  they  are 
apt,  too,  to  think  they  have  a  right  to  do  so,  as  they  have  worked  for  it. 
When  I  was  first  married  I  found  myself  precisely  in  this  way.  We 
had  our  parties  and  tea-drinkings ;  we  must  have  the  best  wine  and 
the  best  cake ;  our  friends  had  it  and  we  must  give  them  the  same 
they  gave  us,  or  be  considered  mean.  But  when  it  pleased  the  Lord 
to  open  my  eyes,  these  things  became  a  burden  to  me.  I  remembered 
He  had  said  "  When  thou  makest  a  feast  call  in  the  poor,  the  lame 
and  the  blind,  those  who  cannot  bid  thee  again. n  When  I  became 
more  engaged  to  follow  Christ  I  remembered  that  when  on  earth,  he 
went  about  doing  good.  I  thought  I  would  assist  the  poor  too  if  I 
had  the  means  some  people  had,  but  I  have  no  more  than  I  want  my- 
self; how  can  /help  the  poor?  Then  it  occurred  to  me  that  Christ 
lived  a  self-denying  life,  and  I  began  to  think  how  I  might  deny 
myself,  take  up  the  cross  and  follow  him,  when  dress  presented  itself 
to  my  view.  Now  a  pair  of  morocco  shoes  cost  one  dollar  and  50  cts. : 
a  pair  of  leather  will  do  just  as  well,  and  I  shall  have  50  cts.  for  the 
poor.  A  fine  muslin  dress  costs  five  dollars :  I  can  buy  a  very  good 
calico  one  for  three,  and  have  two  dollars  to  spare.  I  reasoned  in  this 
manner  till  my  dress  was  reduced  to  the  standard  which  you  see.  I 
wore  a  plain  straw  bonnet  with  a  white  ribbon.  The  ribbon  often  soiled 
and  required  to  be  changed.  I  thought  if  I  wore  a  plain  silk  one  the 
strings  will  last  as  long  as  the  bonnet,  and  here  will  be  something  saved. 

These  things  were  very  trifling  in  themselves,  but  oh  !  the  peace  of 
mind  and  the  liberty  I  gained  by  it  more  than  doubly  compensated 
me  for  the  mortification  I  at  first  endured  in  seeing  others  who  could 
not  afford  it  so  well,  better  dressed  than  myself.  I  could  now  go  to 
meeting  let  the  weather  be  as  it  would,  I  was  not  afraid  of  spoiling 
my  shoes  or  any  part  of  my  dress.  I  no  longer  felt  disturbed  as  to 
whether  my  appearance  was  better  than  my  neighbor  or  not,  and  I 
always  had  something  for  the  poor. 

Now,  dear  friend,  if  you  please,  read  this  in  one  of  your  select 
meetings  to  those  dear  professing  friends  of  yours,  and  beg  them  to 
try  my  plan  for  one  year,  and  I  think  they  cannot  fail  to  be  much 
benefited  by  it. 

I  remain  your  friend  with 

much  regard, 

GRACE  DOUGLASS. 


[  38  ] 

The  design  of  Mrs.  Douglass  becomes  very  evident 
when  we  reflect  upon  all  the  circumstances  by  which 
Mr.  Gloucester  and  his  people  were  surrounded,  for  it 
must  be  observed  that  their  labors  to  establish  and  build 
up  the  Church,  to  redeem  from  bondage  his  family,  re- 
quired no  small  amount  of  anxiety  on  their  part;  but  the 
assistance  of  kind  friends — whether  it  be  in  a  pecuniary 
way,  or  which,  in  some  cases,  may  be  as  valuable — the 
counsel  and  suggestions  of  those  whose  mature  judg- 
ment and  observation  qualify  them  to  render  advice 
wholesome  and  good.  In  this  instance,  surely,  it  was  a 
very  opportune  time  in  this  Christian  lady  to  interpose 
her  advice,  gathered  from  close  observation  of  things 
around  her  as  they  existed.  Evidently  it  was  a  time  to 
retrench  every  indulgence,  whether  of  dress,  eating, 
pleasures  of  any  kind,  save  those  where  some  practical 
good  would  ensue,  in  favor  of  their  efforts.  Of  Mr. 
Gloucester's  subsequent  labors  in  the  Church,  I  have 
not  much  to  record.  His  failing  health,  which  for  some 
time  gave  unmistakable  evidence  that  his  day  of  pilgrim- 
age was  wellnigh  spent,  gave  no  small  uneasiness  to  his 
flock  and  anxiety  to  friends.  Consumption  had  settled 
fairly  upon  him,  and  making  a  wreck  of  the  once  strong 
man.  It  was  a  heart-rending  sight  to  behold  the  faithful 
venerable  pastor,  wasting  away  gradually  but  surely  for 
the  tomb  ;  it  was  crushing  to  behold  him,  in  the  strength 
of  manhood,  weakened  and  wasted  away  by  the  destroyer, 
and  no  possibility  of  escape.  To  him,  however,  it  was 
a  very  little  matter  to  decay  and  die ;  but  his  anxiety 
lay  in  another  direction — it  was  towards  his  Church — 
the  people,  the  object  of  all  his  anxieties,  these  lay  near 
his  heart ;  to  them,  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  he 
gave  the  remaining  energies  of  his  mind,  without  much 
regard  to  anything  else ;  hence  his  petition  to  his  pres- 


[  39  ] 

bytery  on  the  27th  June,  1820,  stating  his  weakened 
condition  and  failing  health,  and  requesting  supplies  for 
the  pulpit,  and  also,  knowing  that  the  day  of  his  stay  on 
earth  was  wellnigh  over,  why,  one  year  before  he  died, 
he  took  the  occasion  to  address  a  letter  to  presbytery, 
dated  April  18,  1821,  recommending  his  son  Jere- 
miah as  a  candidate  for  the  Gospel  ministry.  Previous 
to  this,  however,  Mr.  Gloucester,  through  the  concur- 
rence of  the  Church,  had  brought  forward  Samuel  Cor- 
nish and  Benjamin  Hughes  to  presbytery,  to  be  received 
under  their  care  as  candidates  for  the  ministry;  and, 
from  what  I  have  gathered  from  the  Minutes  of  Presby- 
tery, these  young  men  sustained  themselves  creditably 
in  the  parts  of  trial  assigned  them  by  presbytery,  from 
time  to  time  as  they  were  examined.  In  this,  also,  Mr. 
Gloucester's  qualities  for  perception  were  conspicuous. 
It  will  be  perceived  that  his  vision  was  not  circumscribed 
within  the  narrow  limits  of  his  own  immediate  wants  or 
interests ;  he  was,  as  I  have  once  before  stated,  a  man  of 
extensive  observation ;  he  threw  his  furtive  glance  far 
away  into  the  future,  and  contemplated  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  the  States  of  the  Union,  rising  in  the  distance 
as  in  miniature,  and  still  later  looming  up  in  greater 
magnitude,  until  he  fully  recognized  its  swelling  propor- 
tions, from  every  point  of  view,  spreading  out  and  ex- 
tending itself  far  and  wide.  Hence,  as  can  easily  be 
perceived,  he  took  the  timely  precaution  to  have  pre- 
pared the  proper  material  in  these  young  candidates  for 
the  ministry,  in  due  time  to  supply  the  growing  wants 
of  these  rising  churches ;  and  it  is  mainly  to  him  and 
to  this  First  African  Presbyterian  Church  that  the  now 
respectable  number  of  Presbyterian  churches  in  this 
land  are  supplied  with  ministers. 

During  the  fifteen  years  of  Mr.  Gloucester's  ministry, 


[  40  ] 

the  Church  increased  rapidly  in  numbers — this  can  be 
seen  from  the  increase  reckoning  from  the  number  of 
those  admitted  to  the  Communion  of  the  Lord's  table 
immediately  after  the  people  were  organized  into  a 
church — the  number  admitted  on  the  occasion  being 
twenty-two ;  at  the  time  of  his  death  they  numbered 
over  three  hundred  communicant  members — surely  this 
was  an  encouraging  feature  of  his  labors. 

There  were,  during  his  ministry,  six  elders  in  the 
Church,  to  wit :  Messrs.  James  Prosser,  Cato  Freeman, 
Quammany  Clarkson,  Peter  McNeal,  Jacob  Craig,  and 
Francis  Webb.  Of  this  band  of  faithful  men,  every  one 
of  them  have  passed  away — for  God  took  them — only 
one  remains,  and  that  one  is  Mr.  James  Prosser,  the  first 
acting  elder  appointed  by  the  people  and  pastor  at  the 
rise  of  the  Church ;  and,  is  it  not  also  a  singular  fact  that 
of  the  ministers  of  the  Presbytery  who  took  an  interest 
in  the  rise  and  organization  of  the  Church,  consisting  of 
Rev'ds  Ashbel  Green,  Archibald  Alexander,  J.  Janeway, 
and  George  C.  Potts,  not  one  remain  until  this  day  ex- 
cept Dr.  Jacob  J.  Janeway :  all  the  rest,  we  hope,  have 
entered  into  that  rest  that  remains  for  the  people  of  God. 
And  I  add  further,  that  of  the  elders  that  were  engaged 
in  this  .interesting  work,  consisting  of  Messrs.  McMullin, 
Markoe,  Nassau,  Ralston,  and  Capt.  Moore,  but  one 
remains  alive  now  to  tell  us  of  the  struggles  of  that  early 
time,  and  that  one  is  Mr.  William  Nassau  ;  all  the  others 
"  do  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow 
them,"  and  how  interesting  must  it  be  to  these  aged 
brethren  to  wander  back  in  their  contemplations  to  these 
early  days,  and  draw  to  their  minds  the  companions  of 
their  youth — the  veteran  followers  of  Jesus — who  so 
devotedly  gave  themselves  to  the  Lord,  and  labored  so 
earnestly  in  behalf  of  this  Church. 


[  41  ]      • 

It  pleased  the  great  Head  of  the  Church  to  remove 
Mr.  Gloucester  from  his  earthly  toils  and  labors,  on  the 
2d  day  of  May,  1822,  in  the  46th  year  of  his  age.  This 
solemn  event  was  expected,  from  the  known  nature  of 
his  disease,  and  though  it  shrouded  the  hearts  of  his 
people  and  friends  in  mourning  and  sorrow,  still  they 
were  prepared  for  the  sad  announcement;  in  fact,  he 
himself,  though  feeble  and  weak,  daily  exhorted  them 
to  resignation  to  the  will  of  God.  I  need  not  inform 
the  reader  of  the  gloom  that  his  death  cast  over  the 
community  where  he  was  known,  and  he  was  extensively 
known  to  the  religious  community ;  they  all  felt  that 
not  only  a  great  man  had  fallen  that  day  in  Israel,  but 
a  father,  a  light  in  the  church,  a  shining  light  was  ex- 
tinguished. 

His  death  was  a  peaceful  one,  full  of  hope ;  it  might, 
perhaps,  more  properly  be  said  that  he  fell  asleep  in 
Jesus.  Could  it  be  otherwise]  His  life  was  Christ- 
like,  that  was  his  life  to  be  like  Christ ;  for  this  he  lived, 
for  this  he  labored.  I  close  the  life  of  this  devoted  ser- 
vant of  God  by  a  remark  or  two.  That  there  were 
other  colored  men  in  Philadelphia  laboring  for  the  reli- 
gious elevation  of  their  people,  is  known,  but  if  there 
ever  was  a  man  in  Philadelphia  of  Mr.  Gloucester's 
position,  whose  upright  and  Christian  walk  and  general 
character,  considered  from  every  point  of  view,  that  won 
for  him  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  great  and  good 
men  of  his  day,  that  man  was  Mr.  Gloucester. 

His  Christianity  knew  no  partiality — it  was  univer- 
sal, embracing  all  mankind — there  was  a  sacred  feeling 
embedded  in  his  devoted  heart  towards  all  God's  chil- 
dren, that  was  not  confined  to  denominational  distinc- 
tions, much  less  sectarian  bigotry:  his  constant  teach- 
ings to  his  flock  were  founded  on  God's  universal  law  to 


[  42] 

man,  "  Love  God,  and  your  neighbor  as  yourself."  This 
universal  law  he  carried  out  in  his  life  and  practice ; 
this  he  handed  down  to  posterity,  and  this  law  is  to  this 
day  observed  by  his  church,  and  though  for  the  main- 
tenance of  it  the  church  be  censured  and  proscribed  by 
those  who  would  have  them  violate  that  universal  law 
of  the  Most  High,  yet  are  they  content  to  follow  in  the 
footsteps  of  their  leader  in  the  maintenance  of  it,  until 
they  shall  see  some  good  reason  why  they  should,  by 
any  act  of  theirs,  set  up  a  separate  and  distinct  organ- 
ization, bounded  by  a  distinction  not  at  all  warranted  in 
God's  Word,  nor  yet  even  in  a  sound  morality.  Ac- 
knowledged now,  as  in  the  days  of  Mr.  Gloucester,  as 
one  of  the  family  of  Presbyterians,  this  old  church  is 
content  to  abide  by  the  landmarks  laid  down  by  the 
Apostles,  and  which  we  know  is  the  only  true  principle 
taught  by  the  Saviour,  the  opinions  of  other  persons  to 
the  contrary  notwithstanding. 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  CHURCH,  AND  THE  INSTRUMENTALITY 
BY  WHICH  IT  WAS  ACCOMPLISHED. 

I  am  under  obligation  to  Mr.  William  Nassau,  one  of 
the  few  surviving  Christian  men  now  alive  of  that  constel- 
lation of  godly  men  who  devoted  their  time  and  energies 
in  rearing  the  Church,  for  much  of  the  information  here- 
in recorded.  Mr.  Nassau  was  an  elder  of  the  church  of 
which  Dr.  Alexander  was  pastor,  at  the  time  the  effort 
was  made  to  establish  the  church.  Also,  to  Mr.  James 
Prosser,  the  first  elder  elected  under  Mr.  Gloucester,  and 
the  only  one  living  at  present  among  the  colored  elders 
that  were  engaged  in  the  enterprise ;  and  to  Mr.  Samuel 


[  43  ] 

Bass,  who,  though  not  one  of  the  original  actors  in  the 
work,  yet  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  Fathers  of  the 
Church,  as  he  is  one  of  the  three  survivors  of  that  early 
time  who  joined  the  church  whilst  yet  in  its  infancy: 
all  the  rest  have  departed  this  life,  and  I  trust  have 
joined  the  Church  triumphant  above,  and  enjoy  rest 
from  their  labors. 

In  the  year  1806  Rev.  Archibald  Alexander,  D.  D., 
universally  known  as  a  ripe  scholar  and  devoted  servant 
to  the  cause  of  his  Saviour,  was  Pastor  of  the  Third 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Philadelphia.  About  this  time 
he  recommended  to  his  Christian  brethren  the  formation 
of  an  Institution  in  the  city,  to  be  comprised  of  all  per- 
sons desirous  of  advancing  the  interests  of  Christianity, 
and  in  order  to  carry  out  the  object  to  a  practical  pur- 
pose, an  institution  was  organized  subsequently  known 
as  the  "  Evangelical  Society  of  Philadelphia." 

At  first  but  eight  or  nine  persons  responded  to  the 
recommendation,  and  from  this  small  number  a  very  im- 
portant institution  was  established,  which,  under  the 
approbation  of  the  Most  High,  proved  instrumental  in 
doing  much  good.  But  a  short  time  had  elapsed  before 
it  was  seen  that  this  Society  would  be  as  a  right  arm  to 
the  Presbyterian  churches  in  the  city  and  its  vicinity ; 
thereupon  a  large  increase  of  ministers  and  laymen  gave 
their  hearts  and  their  influence  to  the  objects  of  the  So- 
ciety, which  insured  success. 

At  this  time  there  were  but  four  Presbyterian 
churches  in  the  city,  and  if  documents  of  that  early 
date  can  be  relied  upon,  there  were  not  over  one  thou- 
sand communicant  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  all  the  city,  yet  it  was  no  bar  to  the  godly  few  to  la- 
bor for  God.  In  this  Dr.  Alexander  took  the  lead.  He 
recommended  that  the  members  of  the  Evangelical  So- 


[  44  ] 

ciety  form  themselves  into  companies,  and  that  each 
company  hold  prayer  meetings  as  best  suited  them  as  to 
time  and  place ;  to  gather  children  wherever  they  could 
be  obtained,  form  them  into  classes,  teach  them  the 
truths  of  the  Bible,  assist  them  in  every  possible  way  by 
storing  their  minds  with  useful  Christian  instruction, 
such  as  committing  to  memory  passages  of  Scripture, 
selections  of  hymns,  and  sacred  poetry.  In  this  true 
labor  of  love  they  were  successful,  and  from  what  has 
been  known  to  result  from  this  effort,  we  assume  not 
too  much  when  we  say  that  it  was  the  future  in  embryo 
of  the  Presbyterian  churches  in  the  city,  and  in  many 
places  contiguous  to  it,  and  from  which  many  precious 
jewels  of  God  have  been  brought  into  the  fold  of  Christ, 
who  in  their  day  were  to  fill  up  the  waste  places  in 
Zion,  and,  like  their  fathers,  labor  diligently  in  the  vine- 
yard of  the  Lord. 

Among  the  objects  brought  before  the  Society  by  Dr. 
Alexander,  was  the  religious  training  of  the  colored 
people.  He  pointed  to  them  as  special  subjects  of  at- 
tention from  the  Society.  He  regarded  this  class  of  the 
community  with  deep  interest.  Surely  it  was  Godlike 
in  him  to  look  after  these  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel  ; 
it  was  a  consideration  worthy  of  him,  and  it  was  one 
toward  which  he  gave  his  powerful  influence,  and  lent 
the  powers  of  his  giant  intellect.  Considering  the 
times  and  the  circumstances  that  then  surrounded  the 
colored  people,  I  would  say  it  was  a  great  undertaking  ; 
but  Dr.  Alexander  was  a  great  man.  He  did  not  stop 
"  to  confer  with  flesh  and  blood"  upon  the  matter ;  he 
saw  his  duty  plain,  and  knowing  it,  he  did  it.  His  God 
and  his  own  large  heart  sustained  him  in  his  effort. 
From  his  known  interest  toward  the  welfare  of  the 


[  45  ] 

colored  people,  Dr.  Alexander  has  earned  for  himself  the 
name  of  a  Christian  philanthropist.  Our  church  honors 
him  as  its  patron  and  advocate — indeed,  as  its  founder — 
and  he  will  ever  live  in  their  memories  as  one  of  the  no- 
blest specimens  of  the  Creator's  production  of  a  Chris- 
tian and  gentleman.  I  must  by  no  means  omit  other 
gentlemen  who  took  similar  views  and  entertained  kin- 
dred feelings  with  Dr.  Alexander,  in  behalf  of  the 
colored  people.  Prominently  with  him  were  Rev.  Ash- 
bel  Green,  D.  D.,  who,  to  the  latest  period  of  his  life, 
always  regarded  this  African  Church  (whose  history  I 
am  recording)  with  much  interest,  as  will  be  seen  when 
I  come  to  treat  more  particularly  upon  it.  Dr.  J.  Jane- 
way,  likewise,  with  Rev.  George  Potts,  regarded  the  re- 
commendation and  gave  it  their  sanction.  Of  the  laity, 
Messrs.  McMullin,  Ralston,  Markoe,  and  Nassau,  accord- 
ed to  the  views  of  Dr.  Alexander,  and  were  not  slack  in 
their  efforts  to  advance  the  measure ;  and  I  am  happy  to 
record  among  the  advocates  of  our  welfare,  gentlemen 
from  other  bodies  of  Christians.  Messrs.  Jenkins  and 
Sawyer,  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush, 
of  the  Society  of  Friends,  gave  their  influence  and  sup- 
port to  it;  in  fact,  with  but  a  very  few  exceptions,  not 
by  any  means  necessary  now  particularly  to  designate, 
all  the  churches  over  which  Drs.  Alexander,  Green, 
Janeway,  and  Potts  were  pastors,  encouraged  them  in 
the  affair  and  strengthened  their  hands — particularly 
the  ladies  of  the  first,  second,  third  and  fourth  Presby- 
terian Churches :  it  would  prove  an  anomaly  in  this 
case  were  it  otherwise,  for  they  are  ever  foremost  in  every 
good  work. 

Whilst  this  subject  was  under   consideration  before 
the  Evangelical  Society,  and  they  were  discussing  the 


[  46  ] 

subject  of  forming  in  Philadelphia  a  colored  Presby- 
terian congregation,  Dr.  Gideon  Blackburn,  a  Presby- 
terian minister  from  Tennessee,  arrived  in  the  city  with 
his  body  servant  or  slave  John  Gloucester,  as  I  have 
once  before  shown.  In  regard,  however,  to  this  Church 
of  colored  people,  here  was  a  favorable  indication,  to  say 
the  least  of  it,  and  the  friends  of  the  movement  did  not 
intend  that  it  should  slip  by  them  without  an  effort  to 
secure  it.  They  were  determined  to  do  something  for 
the  religious  benefit  of  the  people.  In  this  they  were 
of  one  mind  and  heart ;  is  it  cause  for  wonder  that  they 
were  successful  in  securing  from  Dr.  Blackburn  the 
services  of  Mr.  Gloucester  for  this  interesting  field  of 
labor  ?  nay,  in  union  there  is  strength,  is  a  truth  clear 
as  it  is  trite.  The  reader  will  pardon  me  for  calling 
attention  to  another  fact  not  perhaps  generally  known 
in  order  to  show  that  Dr.  Alexander  and  the  friends 
that  acted  with  him  in  seeking  to  raise  a  Presbyterian 
congregation  among  colored  people  pursued  a  justifi- 
able course. 

At  this  time  (1806)  Philadelphia  contained  a  numer- 
ous colored  population. 

Among  this  vast  body  of  people  at  this  time  there  were 
in  all  the  city  and  vicinity  for  miles  but  one  Episcopal 
church,  under  the  rectorship  of  the  -Rev.  Absalom 
Jones,  a  colored  Episcopal  clergyman ;  and  I  will  take 
this  occasion  of  saying  that  Mr.  Jones  was  ever  the 
firm  and  abiding  friend  of  Mr.  Gloucester.  That 
church  contained  a  membership  of  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  persons.  Bethel  and  Zoar  Churches,  under  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  contained  between  them 
about  one  thousand  members,  making  in  all  about  eleven 
hundred  and  fifty  colored  communicant  members. 


[  47] 

There  were  no  other  colored  churches  of  other  denomi- 
nations. It  can  be  seen  at  a  glance  that  to  raise  up 
and  establish  a  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  city  was  a 
movement  as  judicious  as  necessary  x  and  wise  as  desir- 
able; thus  we  may  conceive  them  laboring  to  this  end. 
In  the  brief  notice  I  have  taken  of  Mr.  Gloucester  and 
of  his  labors  I  called  attention  to  the  method  at  first 
adopted  of  gathering  up  the  people,  by  preaching  and 
holding  prayer  meetings  in  private  houses,  and  often  in 
the  street.  These  meetings,  or,  as  they  were  more  pro- 
perly regarded,  religious  gatherings,  were  not  without 
interest,  and  to  a  considerable  extent  successful.  Many 
who  were  heretofore  careless  of  their  souls'  spiritual  well- 
being  were  alarmed,  and  convicted  under  Mr.  Glouces- 
ter's preaching  ;  others  were  converted  unto  God  under 
the  hammer  of  the  Word  as  it  fell  from  his  lips.  Not  a 
few  connected  with  other  churches  were  struck  with 
the  intelligence  of  the  man,  and  the  power  of  his 
preaching,  the  unction  that  attended  his  appeals,  and 
the  ability  with  which  he  handled  his  subject,  so 
that  in  a  comparatively  short  time,  taking  everything 
into  consideration,  it  became  very  evident  that  a  favor- 
able impression  upon  the  minds  of  the  people  was  being 
made.  The  large  number  of  persons  that  attended  upon 
his  stated  ministry,  whether  in  the  house,  or  in  his 
open-air  meetings — the  deep  attention  paid  to  his  dis- 
course as  being  delivered,  together  with  the  healthy 
influence  he  was  creating  all  around  him.  —  are  so 
many  points  in  proof  that  he  was  gaining  rapidly, 
into  the  good  graces  of  the  community,  and  working 
himself  into  the  affections  of  not  a  few.  An  offer 
was  made,  and  a  very  strong  inducement  held  out  to 
Mr.  Gloucester  to  relinquish  his  efforts  of  raising  a 


[  48  ] 

Presbyterian  Colored  Church,  and  give  the  weight  of 
his  influence,  the  energies  of  his  mind  in  another  di- 
rection, and  ample  provision,  &c.,  should  be  afforded 
him  ;  but  Mr.  Gloucester  was  a  man  who  could  neither 
be  bought  nor  discouraged  in  his  favorite  plan  of  organ- 
izing a  Presbyterian  Church.  He  was  a  Presbyterian 
in  principle,  and  could  not  be  Arminian  through  policy ; 
however  others  might  act,  and  besides  he  had  com- 
menced a  great  work  among  the  people,  sustained  and 
upheld  in  it  by  godly  and  disinterested  men,  and  having, 
as  he  believed,  the  sanction  of  the  Most  High.  He 
would  not,  he  could  not  come  down  from  his  work  and 
stoop  to  such  paltry  littleness  as  was  proposed.  From 
that  time  to  the  day  of  his  death  I  am  informed  no  man 
dare  approach  him  with  any  such  miserable  offer.  In 
this  attempt  we  conceive  that  there  were  some  in  the 
community  who  were  regarding  this  Presbyterian  effort 
with  a  jealous  if  not  an  evil  eye.  No  doubt  they  saw 
the  impressions  made  through  the  labors  of  Mr.  Glou- 
cester, and  hence  the  attempt  to  crush  in  the  very  bud 
the  entire  thing.  Some,  no  doubt,  were  like  the  Ephe- 
sians  at  the  preaching  of  Paul,  conceiving,  if  he  was 
not  checked,  their  gains  would  be  gone,  and  would,  did 
they  dare  do  it,  stir  up  the  whole  city  against  him,  see- 
ing their  "  craft  was  in  danger  to  be  set  at  naught,  &c." 
In  a  brief  period  of  time  about  twenty-two  persons 
were  obtained  from  among  the  number  that  statedly 
attended  upon  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Gloucester ;  these 
were  nine  women  and  thirteen  men,  all  hopefully  con- 
verted to  God,  and  with  these  he  commenced  his  church 
by  organizing  them  as  a  Presbyterian  body.  This  was 
done,  as  near  as  we  can  arrive  at  the  facts,  about  the  lat- 
ter part  of  May  or  early  part  of  June  in  1807.  Mr. 


[  49  ] 

Gloucester  did  not  labor  -very  long  before  there  was  a 
still  further  increase  to  membership. 

During  the  first  three  years  of  Mr.  Gloucester's  labors 
in  Philadelphia,  he  had  very  frequently  to  be  absent  in 
order  to  prepare  himself  for  examination  and  ordina- 
tion, as  will  be  seen  in  a  subsequent  part  of  this  narra- 
tive. During  his  absence,  however,  the  wants  of  his 
little  flock  were  attended  to  by  his  abiding  friends,  Drs. 
Alexander,  Green,  Janeway  and  Potts,  one  or  the  other 
of  these  gentlemen  would  watch  over  them  and  find 
time  from  their  arduous  labors  to  attend  at  least  once  a 
day  on  each  Sabbath  to  preach  to  the  people.  Some- 
times they  would  have  to  do  as  did  Mr.  Gloucester,  go 
first  to  one  place  and  then  to  another  to  meet  the  people 
and  dispense  the  word  of  life  to  them ;  for  at  this  time 
there  was  no  "  foot  of  ground  they  could  call  their  own, 
nor  cottage  in  this  wilderness."  They  were  without  a 
house  of  worship  of  their  own,  and  consequently  they 
worshipped  God  wherever  they  could  conveniently  do 
so.  Sometimes  it  would  be  a  large  room  in  Gaskill 
Street,  at  other  times  in  the  school-house  in  Seventh 
Street,  near  where  the  church  now  stands;  however, 
wherever  the  people  pitched  their  meeting  in  the  ab- 
sence of  Mr.  Gloucester,  these  benevolent  Ministers  of 
Christ  would  be  found,  and  God  rewarded  them  for 
their  self-sacrificing  spirit. 

Such  was  the  rapid  increase  at  this  time,  1809,  that 
it  was  soon  found  necessary  to  adopt  some  plan  or  mea- 
sures whereby  a  piece  of  ground  could  be  obtained,  and 
a  house  erected  thereon,  where  the  people  could  congre- 
gate, and  their  increasing  numbers  accommodated;  hence, 
only  two  years  after  Mr.  Gloucester  entered  upon  his 
labors  in  Philadelphia  such  was  the  success  that  followed 
his  efforts ;  and,  abundantly  blessed  by  the  Most  High, 
4 


[  50  ] 

that  it  was  found  necessary  to  make  a  strong  effort  to 
secure  a  building.  Consequently,  on  July  31,  1809, 
the  congregation  appointed  a  committee  to  wait  upon 
the  Evangelical  Society,  and  confer  upon  some  plan 
whereby  a  house  of  worship  could  be  secured.  This 
committee  met  the  society,  and  made  their  business 
known.  With  a  promptness  truly  Christian  the  society 
at  once  appointed  a  similar  committee  to  meet  the  com- 
mittee from  the  colored  people  on  the  subject.  After 
due  consideration  was  had  upon  the  matter,  the  com- 
mittee from  the  Evangelical  Society  made  to  that  body 
so  favorable  a  report  that  the  society  ordered  the  fol- 
lowing address  to  be  signed  by  the  President  and  pub- 
lished, and  which  I  now  insert  not  only  because  it  may 
be  regarded  as  a  relic  of  that  early  day  of  Presbyte- 
rianism  in  Philadelphia,  but  of  the  excellent  and  Christ- 
like  spirit  that  it  contains. 

At  a  meeting  of  "  The  Evangelical  Society  of  Phila- 
delphia," held  July  31st,  1809,  the  committee  appointed 
to  confer  with  a  committee  from  the  people  of  color  on 
the  subject  of  erecting  a  house  of  worship  for  their  use, 
made  a  report  which  was  approved,  and  the  following 
address  ordered  to  be  signed  by  the  President  and  pub- 
lished. 

TO  THE  PIOUS  AND  BENEVOLENT. 

The  attention  of  the  pious  and  benevolent  is  now  called  to  a  con- 
sideration of  the  condition  of  the  people  of  color,  in  this  city,  as  it 
relates  to  the  means  of  religious  instruction.  The  population  of  this 
description  of  people  has  of  late  become  very  numerous  amongst  us, 
and  is  daily  rapidly  increasing.  The  education  of  most  of  them  has 
been  extremely  defective ;  and  many  have  come  here  with  habits  very 
little  compatible  with  the  peace  and  good  order  of  civil  society. 
Your  officers  of  police,  your  guardians  of  the  poor,  your  justices  of 
the  peace,  your  criminal  courts,  your  prisons  and  work-houses,  can 


[  51  ] 

all  attest,  how  much  need  there  is  of  a  reformation  among  the  blacks 
of  this  place.  This  degraded  state  of  manners  cannot  justly  be  at- 
tributed to  any  national  inferiority,  but  must  be  entirely  ascribed  to 
the  circumstance  of  a  great  part  of  them  having  so  lately  emerged 
from  a  state  of  abject  slavery  calculated  to  paralyze  every  noble  faculty 
of  the  mind,  and  extinguish  every  moral  sentiment ;  but  every  day 
furnishes  us  with  increasing  evidence,  that  the  African  race  is  not 
inferior  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  other  quarters  of  the  world,  either 
in  the  natural  endowments  of  the  understanding  or  the  heart. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  there  are  many  exceptions  to  the  general 
remarks  which  have  been  made,  respecting  the  degraded  state  of  the 
people  of  color  in  this  place.  It  is  well  known  and  must  afford 
pleasure  to  every  benevolent  person,  that  there  are  some  of  them, 
who,  in  respect  to  intellect  and  moral  improvement,  rank  high  among 
their  fellow  citizens  :  but  these  are  among  the  first  to  acknowledge 
and  deplore  the  wretched  situation  of  a  large  porportion  of  the 
people  of  color.  And  it  deserves  to  be  mentioned  to  their  praise, 
that  they  have  lately  instituted  a  society,  the  express  object  of  which, 
is  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  their  brethren  according  to  the  flesh, 
by  the  suppression  of  vice  and  the  communication  of  moral  and  re- 
ligious instruction  among  them.  And  will  not  every  friend  of  virtue 
and  good  order  among  the  whites,  lend  his  aid  in  promoting  this 
good  work?  Are  we  not  bound  by  every  consideration,  of  justice, 
of  charity,  of  humanity,  and  of  self-interest,  to  give  our  best  assist- 
ance towards  civilizing  and  reforming  this  numerous  and  increasing 
class  of  inhabitants  ?  And  what  means  so  effectual  for  this  purpose 
as  the  faithful  preaching  of  the  Gospel?  The  restraints  of  civil  law 
are  acknowledged  to  be  salutary  and  necessary,  and  the  influence  of 
public  opinion  on  the  conduct  of  men  is  not  to  be  despised ;  but 
after  exhausting  all  our  ingenuity  in  planning  schemes  of  reforma- 
tion, the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  will  maintain  its  importance,  as  the 
most  successful  and  only  effectual  means  of  producing  radical  refor- 
mation among  men.  But  in  speaking  of  the  good  effects  of  the 
Christian  religion,  it  would  be  unpardonable  to  confine  our  vi«ws  to 
the  present  world.  Its  chief  praise,  is,  that  it  is  "  able  to  make  men 
wise  unto  salvation."  Shall  we,  then,  who  profess  "a  religion  whose 
very  essence  is  benevolence,  be  indifferent  to  the  eternal  salvation  of 
our  fellow  men  ?  Shall  we  suffer  them  to  perish  through  "  lack  of 
knowledge,"  when  it  is  so  much  in  our  power  to  supply  them  with 
the  means  of  instruction  ?  And  that  too  when  we  have  been  acces- 
sary, as  a  people,  in  bringing  them  into  their  present  wretched  situa- 


[  52  ] 

tion.  The  injury  which  has  been  done  to  this  race  of  people  by 
tearing  them  away  from  their  friends  and  native  country,  and  subject- 
ing them  and  their  posterity  to  a  heavy  yoke  of  bondage,  cannot  now 
be  fully  repaired  ;  but  that  which  was  originally  a  crime  of  the  most 
crying  injustice  and  oppression,  may,  under  the  direction  of  a  gra- 
cious Providence,  prove  eventually  to  be  a  blessing  of  the  first  mag- 
nitude, by  bringing  them  in  reach  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  But  let 
us  as  far  as  it  can  be  done,  by  acts  of  benevolence  and  charity  to  these 
people,  wipe  away  the  stain  of  our  injustice  ;  or  at  least  obliterate 
the  remembrance  of  it. 

There  are  already,  it  is  true,  several  African  churches  occupied  by 
different  denominations  ;  but  these  are  by  no  means  sufficient  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  thousands  of  people  of  color  who  now  inhabit 
this  city.  It  is  believed,  after  some  examination  of  the  subject,  that 
more  than  one-half  of  them  are  in  no  connection  with  any  religious 
society,  and  seldom  attend  any  place  of  public  worship. 

Besides,  there  are  many,  who,  from  education  or  principle,  are  at- 
tached to  the  Presbyterian  Church.  These  find  it  to  be  inconvenient 
and  unpleasant,  for  reasons  which  need  not  now  be  stated,  to  attend 
the  houses  of  worship  frequented  by  the  white  people.  They  are 
anxious  to  form  a  Presbyterian  congregation  among  themselves,  and 
they  ought  to  be  assisted  and  encouraged  (particularly  by  those  who 
are  connected  with  that  denomination),  to  carry  their  wishes  into  effect. 
And  now  a  most  favorable  opportunity  for  accomplishing  this  object 
has  occurred,  which  if  suffered  to  pass  without  improvement,  may  not 
soon  return.  There  is  at  this  time  in  Philadelphia,  a  man  of  color, 
who  is  a  licensed  preacher  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  has  been 
employed  by  the  committee  of  missions,  to  labor  for  some  time  among 
thB  blacks  of  this  place.  This  man  appears  to  be  eminently  qualified 
for  extensive  usefulness  among  the  people  of  his  own  color.  He  has 
already  attracted  their  attention  and  affections  in  a  high  degree. 
And  if  a  place  of  worship  sufficiently  large,  and  conveniently  situated, 
could  be  obtained,  there  can  be  very  little  doubt  but  what,  in  a  short 
time,  he  would  be  able,  by  the  divine  blessing,  to  collect  and  organize 
a  large  society. 

This  object  is  so  important,  and  the  opportunity  of  carrying  it 
into  effect  so  favorable,  that  it  is  deemed  unnecessary  to  add  anything 
more  by  way  of  recommendation.  There  are  many,  it  is  believed, 
who  need  no  stimulus  to  excite  them  to  step  forward  with  their  aid  : 
and  it  is  confidently  expected,  that  very  few  to  whom  application 
shall  be  made,  will  refuse  their  contribution  ;  and  although  it  be  but 


[  53  ] 

a  mite,  yet  it  will  not  be  overlooked  by  Him  who  appreciates  a  gift 
not  so  much  by  the  amount  bestowed,  as  by  the  willingness  of  the 
giver. 

It  is  contemplated,  as  soon  as  sufficient  funds  can  be  collected,  to 
purchase  a  convenient  lot  in  the  southwest  part  of  Philadelphia,  and 
to  erect  on  it  a  house  of  worship,  either  slight  and  temporary,  or 
substantial  and  permanent,  accordingly  as  circumstances  may  dictate. 

The  public  are  therefore  informed  that  within  a  few  days,  some 
persons  duly  authorized  by  the  people  of  color,  and  others  interested 
in  their  behalf,  will  begin  to  solicit  the  aid  of  the  pious  and  benevo- 
lent to  carry  the  object  above  stated  into  effect. 

Resolved,  That  the  money  to  be  subscribed  for  the  foregoing  purpose 
shall  be  made  payable  to  Messrs.  ROBERT  RALSTON,  JOHN  M'MULLIN, 
and  FRANCIS  MARKOE,  who  will  stand  pledged  to  the  contributors  for 
the  faithful  application  of  the  funds  to  their  destined  object. 

ARCHIBALD  ALEXANDER, 

President. 

The  subscribers,  Pastors  of  Presbyterian  churches  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  cheerfully  and  cordially  concur  with  the  president  and 
their  fellow  members  of  the  Evangelical  Society,  in  earnestly  recom- 
mending to  the  pious  and  liberal,  the  patronage  of  the  design  set 
forth  in  the  preceding  address,  of  erecting  another  church  in  this 
city  for  the  accommodation  and  spiritual  advantage  of  the  people  of 

color. 

ASHBEL  GREEN", 

JACOB  J.  JANEWAY, 
JAMES  P.  WILSON, 
GEORGE  C.  POTTS. 

In  view  of  the  circular  being  published,  permit  me 
to  remark  that  this  congregation  was  not  a  wealthy  one, 
there  were  but  few  persons  in  it  who  were  able  to  con- 
tribute any  very  considerable  amount  of  money.  The 
larger  part  by  far  could  do  but  little  in  a  monetary 
point  of  view;  they  wanted  a  house  of  worship,  and 
they  felt  the  necessity  of  it;  they  were  willing,  it  is 
true,  to  do  what  they  could,  but  willingness,  however 
commendable,  is  not  ability.  All  were  ardent  to  have 


a  piece  of  ground  and  the  building  erected;  but  ardency, 
though  not  condemnable,  is  not  money ;  and  however 
anxious  the  people  might  have  been  in  their  disposition 
towards  the  object,  there  was  still  wanting  the  available 
means  to  put  the  machinery  in  motion,  the  dollars  were 
needful.  This  to  them  was  the  motive  power  only  through 
which  the  work  could  be  carried  on  or  even  commenced 
— here  was  the  dilemma.  Whilst  they  were  at  their  wits' 
end,  and  everything  looked  lowering  and  dark,  when  no 
ray  of  encouragement  illumined  their  hearts,  the  faith- 
ful pastor's  voice  was  heard  in  accents  of  encourage- 
ment, exhorting  them  to  rely  on  God  and  be  of  good 
cheer,  for  God  who  had  been  with  them  thus  far  would 
be  with  them  to  the  end.  It  was  at  this  time  that  he 
recommended  a  committee  from  the  church  to  wait  upon 
the  Evangelical  Society,  as  we  have  seen. 

The  publication  of  this  circular  proved  so  successful 
as  to  warrant  the  society  and  congregation  at  once  to 
proceed  in  the  matter.  The  lot  at  the  corner  of  Shippen 
and  Seventh  Streets,  where  Mr.  Gloucester  so  often 
stood  and  preached  on  Sabbath  mornings,  was  secured. 
In  less  than  one  year  from  the  publication  of  the  cir- 
cular, the  corner  stone  was  laid  by  Rev.  George  Potts, 
for  a  substantial  brick  church  in  1810,  and  on  May  31, 
1811,  it  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God.  This 
speedy  progress  was  surely  the  Lord's  doing,  and  it  is 
marvellous  in  our  sight,  taking  everything  into  the  ac- 
count. I  must  leave  the  reader  to  draw  his  own  con- 
clusions from  this  entire  enterprise  from  its  origin  to 
the  completion  of  the  house  in  its  rise  and  progress,  if 
every  step  taken,  and  feature  of  it  be  considered.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  in  1806  the  matter  was  first 
agitated  before  the  Evangelical  Society.  In  1807  the 
work  of  organizing  the  people  into  a  Presbyterian 


[ft*         T 
00    ] 

Church  or  body  was  commenced  under  the  missionary 
labors  of  Mr.  Gloucester.  In  1810  the  corner  stone 
was  laid,  and  in  1811  the  church  was  dedicated  to  the 
service  of  God.  All  this  was  accomplished  in  four 
years,  through  the  assistance  of  kind  friends  and  the 
blessings  of  God. 

Before  passing  on  to  a  further  notice  of  the  history 
of  the  church,  permit  me  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
reader  to  one  or  two  interesting  things  connected  with 
the  dedication  of  the  church.  It  would  seem  upon 
so  interesting  an  occasion,  that  Dr.  Alexander  should 
lead  in  the  exercises  of  the  day.  He  had  previously 
removed  to  Princeton,  and  was  one  of  the  Professors  at 
the  Seminary.  The  people,  encouraged  and  strength- 
ened no  doubt  by  Mr.  Gloucester,  made  so  unanimous 
and  earnest  an  appeal  to  Dr.  Alexander,  that  he  con- 
sented to  be  present  and  preach  the  dedicatory  sermon, 
assisted  in  the  other  exercises  by  Drs.  Green  and  Potts. 
I  am  unfortunate  in  not  being  able  to  give  the  passage 
of  Scripture  on  which  the  discourse  was  founded.  I 
am  equally  so  in  not  being  able  to  give  even  a  faint 
outline  of  the  discourse,  there  being  no  record  of  the 
church  upon  which  I  can  lay  my  hands  to  obtain  the 
information.  Of  one  thing  we  may  be  assured,  it  was 
appropriate  and  to  the  point. 

Previous  to  the  day  of  dedicating  the  house,  Mr. 
Gloucester  had  the  following  address  circulated  among 
the  people,  and  a  copy  sent  to  all  friendly  to  his  cause. 
For  the  address  I  am  under  obligation  to  Mr.  Jacob  C. 
White,  Sen.,  who,  very  fortunately  for  the  church  and 
posterity,  kept  this  relic  in  his  possession,  and  which  is 
now  through  his  kindness  given  to  all  who  may  read 
these  pages.  It  is  the  production  of  Mr.  Gloucester's 
own  brain. 


[  56  ] 

I  make  no  comment,  but  leave  the  reader  to  make 
his  own  inference  of  the  man  and  his  mind. 


ADDRESS  OF  JOHN  GLOUCESTER  IN  1811,  TO  THE  FIRST 
AFRICAN  CHURCH. 

Glad  tidings  of  great  joy  to  the  African  Race,  and  particularly 
to  the  infant  Church,  in  which  the  hand  of  God  has  been  so  visible 
in  collecting  so  many  of  us  from  the  dark  mountains  of  ignorance, 
sin  and  woe,  to  the  bosom  of  the  visible  Church.  The  ground  of  our 
joy  being  somewhat  similar  to  that  ancient  branch  of  God's  Church 
who  had  been  so  long  enslaved  under  the  Babylonish  yoke,  but  having 
accomplished  the  years  of  their  suffering  bondage,  they  were  permit- 
ted to  return  to  the  land  of  Canaan  and  rebuild  their  temple.  After 
they  had  begun  this  building  they  met  with  great  discouragement 
which  stopped  the  work  of  the  Lord's  house  for  eight  years,  after  which 
time  Ezra  and  the  friends  of  Zion  began  and  finished  the  temple, 
which  was  a  subject  of  great  joy  to  them  and  to  all  the  well  wishers 
of  Zion,  but  terminated  in  the  grief  and  confusion  of  their  opposers. 
In  like  manner  many  of  us  have  accomplished  the  years  of  our  cap- 
tivity, and  returned  to  the  land  of  blessed  light  and  liberty.  In  the 
year  1810,  a  building  was  begun  for  the  poor  and  afflicted  sons  and 
daughters  of  Ham,  in  Moyamensing  district  at  the  corner  of  Seventh 
and  Shippen  Sts.,  which  was  patronized  by  many  of  the  worthy  in- 
habitants of  this  city ;  we  had  the  honor  at  the  commencement  of  the 
building  to  have  the  following  gentlemen  go  before  us  as  the  chief 
agents  and  planners  of  the  work :  Messrs.  Ralston,  F.  Markoe, 
Captain  Moore  and  John  McMullin.  By  the  pious  exertions  and  in- 
fluence of  these  gentlemen,  united  with  many  of  the  well  disposed  and 
benevolent  inhabitants  of  this  place,  this  house  of  worship  was  raised 
and  made  comfortable  for  use  in  the  same  year  in  which  it  was  begun, 
but  left  in  an  unfinished  state  for  two  reasons :  first,  many  of  those 
who  were  free  from  temporal  bondage  were  still  willing  to  be  slaves 
to  sin  and  Satan,  the  worst  of  masters,  however  faithfully  served,  and 
the  wages  eternal  death.  Secondly,  The  number  of  those  that  seemed 
to  be  sensible  of  the  invaluable  blessings  of  the  Gospel,  and  that  of 
Christian  liberty,  were  but  few  that  attached  themselves  to  this  place 
of  worship,  and  for  them  there  was  sufficient  room,  but  since  that 
time  the  Lord  has  increased  us  in  number,  and  I  hope  somewhat  in 
heavenly  wisdom,  so  that  many  of  those  in  years  past  who  have  un- 
dervalued the  blessings  of  Gospel  privileges  have  now  learned  how  to 


[57  ] 

appreciate  them.  As  more  room  was  wanting  to  accommodate  those, 
which  could  be  had  by  putting  np  the  galleries  in  the  church,  this  we 
took  as  a  call  from  God  to  finish  His  house,  which  we  attempted,  some 
of  us  I  hope  like  the  builders  in  Ezra's  day  not  by  might  or  power, 
but  by  the  spirit  of  God,  hoping  he  will  raise  up  for  us  unexpected 
friends  to  aid  in  carrying  up  the  last  stone  of  the  temporal  building 
as  he  did  for  them,  for  King  Darius  was  made  a  nursing  father  to 
the  church  in  his  day,  being  overrated  by  the  superintendent  provi- 
dence of  God.  He  had  the  house  of  the  rolls  searched  (wherein  the 
treasure  was  laid  up  in  Babylon),  and  there  he  found  the  decree  of 
Cyrus,  which  he  made  in  the  first  year  of  his  reign,  respecting  the 
building  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  that  it  should  be  paid  out  of  the 
King's  treasury  ;  this  decree  was  enforced  by  King  Darius,  and  the 
house  was  finished  accordingly.  In  doing  this,  he  fulfilled  the 
prophecy  and  vision  of  Daniel  respecting  the  Jewish  Church.  (Dan. 
Ch.  9th.)  Now  let  the  friends  of  Jesus  look  into  the  records  of  his 
decrees  and  see  what  he  has  said  respecting  the  accomplishment  of 
the  Gospel  church,  and  they  will  see  his  promises  fulfilling  in  this  day 
particularly  as  it  respects  Ethiopia,  for  she  is  now  stretching  out  her 
hands  to  God  or  heart,  through  the  means  of  Grace  which  she  is  now 
enjoying,  and  many  of  her  sable  sons  and  daughters  are  hopefully 
gathered  in  the  bosom  of  the  visible  church,  and  as  we  are  among  that 
number  glory  is  due  to  God  from  us,  and  humble  thanks  to  that  pub- 
lic spirit  of  benevolence  which  we  have  witnessed  in  this  place.  Hav- 
ing finished  our  building,  we  have  set  apart  next  Friday  the  Slstinst. 
as  a  day  of  thanksgiving  to  God  for  the  innumerable  blessings  con- 
ferred upon  us.  The  mode  of  spending  this  day  will  be  in  our  private 
families  in  the  morning,  and  at  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  shall 
repair  to  the  new  finished  building  to  present  our  public  thank-offer- 
ing to  God,  at  which  time  there  will  be  a  sermon  preached  by  a  Rev. 
D.  D.,  of  Princeton,  whose  name  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  mention, 
after  which  there  will  be  a  collection  taken  up  to  assist  in  defraying 
the  expenses  of  this  building,  and  we  hope  that  those  who  gave  us 
birth  as  a  visible  church  will  help  this  poor  branch  of  God's  vineyard 
in  putting  up  the  cap  stone  of  this  building,  which  is  too  high  for  our 
circumstances.  Believing  there  is  enough  in  the  King's  treasury,  we 
throw  ourselves  at  the  feet  of  those  with  whom  he  has  intrusted  it,  in 
hopes  of  receiving  aid  to  finish  a  house  which  will  stand  as  an  eternal 
monument  to  the  glory  of  God,  the  honor  of  the  Christian  religion  in 
this  place,  and  finally,  we  trust,  will  prove  a  blessing  to  many  souls. 

J.  G. 


[  58  ] 

We  cannot  very  easily  conceive  of  the  deep  throb- 
bings  of  the  people's  hearts,  and  the  intense  interest 
felt  by  them,  as  the  day  broke  in  from  amidst  the  gloom 
of  night,  when  the  building  or  edifice  was  to  be  dedi- 
cated to  God;  the  time  of  their  anxieties,  the  object  of 
their  hope,  the  finale  of  their  fears,  and  the  consumma- 
tion of  their  desires,  on  that  day  were  all  to  be  realized 
— what  thanksgivings  to  God  in  their  families — what 
praising  and  rejoicing.  Writing  from  this  distant  period , 
we  can  almost  feel  with  them  as  we  contemplate  them 
around  their  family  altars  in  their  heartfelt  gratitude  to 
God,  from  whom  came  this  good  gift,  and  who  enabled 
them  to  succeed  in  their  undertaking.  Surely  there  must 
have  been  a  sacred  joy  springing  up  in  every  heart  in 
that  vast  assembly  of  people,  as  they  sat  within  those 
walls  on  that  interesting  occasion.  That  was  a  memor- 
able day,  made  memorable,  too,  because  heaven's  God 
smiled  upon  them,  and  gave  them  tokens  of  approba- 
tion that  he  approved  their  labor  of  love,  and  accepted 
their  offerings  of  praise  and  thanksgiving. 

It  is  true  the  building  was  not  in  any  way  remark- 
able for  architectural  taste  ;  it  was  a  plain  brick,  sixty 
feet  long  by  thirty-three  feet  wide,  without  any  orna- 
ment about  it  either  inside  or  out,  but  in  this  respect 
the  people  did  what  they  could,  with  this  assurance  to 
encourage  them,  "that  God  does  not  require  what  a  man 
hath  not,  but  what  he  hath;"  the  offering,  then,  to  God, 
of  a  plain,  simple  constructed  edifice,  is  valued  accord- 
ing to  the  ability  of  the  people,  and  the  spirit  in  which 
it  is  given  to  Him — hence  the  offering,  though  it  might 
by  many  be  regarded  as  insignificant,  yet  to  Him  who 
is  God  over  all  and  blessed  forevermore,  attaches  an  im- 
portance to  it  that  may  not  be  entertained  for  a  more 
costly  and  magnificent  superstructure. 


[  59  ] 

As  we  have  seen,  this  building  was  dedicated  to  the 
worship  of  God  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1811.  It  has 
four  rows  of  pews,  numbering  seventeen  deep,  with  two 
aisles  three  feet  wide  each,  and  will  seat  on  the  lower 
floor,  very  comfortably,  370  persons.  It  also  has  a  gallery 
on  each  side  and  one  on  the  end ;  these  can  accommodate 
280  persons  without  discommoding  each  other.  The 
ceiling  is  very  high,  which  gives  the  audience-room  a 
light  and  airy  appearance.  After  the  Church  was 
finished  and  dedicated,  the  elders,  trustees,  and  people, 
petitioned  Presbytery  to  be  taken  under  their  care  and 
inspection,  to  be  considered  in  full  standing  as  a  Pres- 
byterian congregation — "Whereupon,  the  Presbytery  of 
Philadelphia  did,  on  the  16th  day  of  October,  1811,  and 
sitting  in  Norristown,  Pa.,  Dr.  Janeway  Moderator,  and 
Dr.  Green  Clerk,  receive  under  their  care,  according  to 
their  request,  the  African  Church." 

I  will  take  this  occasion  to  remark,  now  that  the 
Church  was  received  by  the  Presbytery,  that  Mr. 
Gloucester's  relation  with  the  Committee  on  Missions 
during  his  life,  was  never  broken  by  his  receiving  a  call 
from  the  congregation  of  the  African  Church,  and  con- 
sequently was  never  installed  over  them  as  its  pastor, 
although  he  was  all  to  them  that  a  pastor  could  be,  and 
was  regarded  by  the  people  as  a  pastor  beloved  until  the 
day  of  his  death,  and  lives  in  the  memory  now  of  those 
who  were  children  and  youth  at  that  time,  with  consider- 
able veneration.  His  not  being  installed  over  the 
Church  perhaps  arose  from  the  inability  of  the  infant 
Church  to  provide  for  him  as  they  could  possibly  desire, 
and  to  insure  him  such  support  as  they  desired  to  be- 
stow if  they  could;  hence  to  leave  him  in  the  hands  of 
the  Committee  on  Missions,  and  to  assist  the  Committee 
as  far  as  they  were  able  of  their  ability,  appears  to  be 


[  60  ] 

the  reason  why  the  call  was  not  formally  made  out  and 
put  into  his  hands  by  his  Presbytery. 

The  Church  being  now  received  under  the  care  of  the 
Philadelphia  Presbytery,  may  be  considered  as  forming 
one  of  the  Presbyterian  family,  and  as  such,  claims  to 
be  regarded  in  that  light.  Holding  in  common  with  all 
Presbyterian  Churches  their  distinctive  doctrines,  which 
they  are  devotedly  attached  to  from  a  conscientious  be- 
lief of  their  Scriptural  validity,  as  well  also  as  Christ 
as  its  head,  God  blessed  forevermore,  and  all  his  minis- 
ters as  one  in  Him,  and  among  whom  none  may  claim 
any  superiority  over  another,  for  all  are  brethren,  Jesus 
himself  the  elder  brother — the  chief  and  only  Bishop 
of  the  Church  universal. 

From  the  most  reliable  information  that  we  are  in 
possession  of,  the  Church,  at  the  time  it  was  dedicated 
and  received  under  care  of  Presbytery,  comprised  a 
membership  of  123  persons.  Mr.  Gloucester  has,  in 
his  address,  assigned  the  reason  why  it  was  that  the  con- 
gregation, in  its  communion  members,  were  so  few;  but 
there  may  be  another  reason,  and  that  one  is  common  to 
all  Presbyterian  Churches:  as  a  general  thing,  they 
grow  slowly,  for  the  evident  reason  that  the  claims  of 
the  Gospel  as  preached  by  Presbyterian  clergymen,  are 
addressed  more  to  the  conviction  of  the  conscience  and 
understanding  of  the  people,  than  to  the  prejudices  and 
passions ;  hence,  it  may  be  presumed,  that  they  are  not 
very  successful  pioneers  in  a  new  enterprise :  they  are, 
however,  good  cultivators,  and  though  their  growth  may 
be  slow,  yet  they  are  sure  and  steady,  striking  root  deep 
down  in  the  virgin  soil,  that  no  rude  blast  nor  passing 
storm  can  uproot  nor  tear  from  the  regenerated  sinner's 
heart,  the  doctrines  of  grace  once  implanted  therein  by 
power  divine.  Thus  we  account  for  the  seeming  tardi- 


[  61  ] 

ness  of  a  great  increase  in  a  short  space  of  time.  As  it 
is  in  nature  so  in  grace :  it  is  not  the  torrent  of  rain,  as 
it  comes  pouring  from  the  clouds,  deluging  the  earth 
with  its  rushing  waters,  that  invigorates,  revives, 
strengthens,  and  vivifies  vegetation,  but  rather  the  gen- 
tle shower  or  the  soft  falling  dew  that  accomplishes  this 
end,  and  to  these  agents  in  nature  we  more  hopefully 
look  for  blooming  fields,  in  their  freshness  and  beauty  so 
cheering  to  the  eye  and  grateful  to  the  heart.  We  are 
more  than  ever  confirmed  in  this  view  of  the  subject, 
when  we  contemplate  the  ability,  the  zeal,  the  deep 
piety  of  the  men  engaged  in  preaching  the  Gospel  to 
this  people — their  names  alone  convey  the  idea  that 
each  one  was  a  host  in  himself — eminent  for  learning, 
remarkable  for  piety,  and  "  not  slothful"  in  Christian 
labors,  is  an  attestation  of  the  fact  that  the  work, 
though  slow  at  first,  was  still  gradual  and  sure  in  its 
progress,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter. 

I  must  here  remind  the  reader  of  what  I  asserted  in 
the  commencement  of  this  history,  that  this  African 
Church  was  the  first  and  only  Presbyterian  one  in  Phil- 
adelphia, and  in  the  United  States.  There  were  other 
African  Churches,  as  I  have  stated,  but  not  of  this  de- 
nomination. Being  a  new  enterprise  or  effort  in  the 
face  of  older  and  established  organizations,  our  wonder 
if  any  should  cease,  when  I  say  that  the  people  took 
considerable  time  to  weigh  well  its  claims  before  they 
gave  in  their  adhesion  to  it :  they  could  not  be  blamed 
for  this  caution,  when  we  reflect  that  it  is  wise  and 
commendable  to  weigh  well  in  every  point  of  view  every 
proposition  made  as  a  matter  of  faith  and  practice,  and 
in  the  light  of  reason  and  revelation  pass  judgment 
upon  it  before  we  decide  to  make  it  the  object  of  our 
faith — the  rule  of  our  life.  When  this  is  done,  then, 


[  62  ] 

like  Dr.  Young's  good  man,  we  may  say  with,  him, 
"  Here  is  firm  footing — solid  ground,"  and  so  far  as  our 
belief  and  reception  of  the  truth  is  concerned,  may  also 
add  with  him,  "  All  else  is  sea  beside ;  his  hand  the  good 
man  fastens  on  the  sky,  then  bid  earth  roll  nor  feel  its 
idle  whirl." 

We  now  regard  the  Church  as  fairly  under  way, 
launched  forth  upon  the  ocean  of  life,  freighted  with 
immortal  souls  bound  for  the  shores  of  immortality  and 
heavenly  bliss.  Oh,  what  a  thought  is  this,  an  infant 
Church,  to  go  out  on  the  ocean  of  life  to  contend  with 
the  furious  storms  incidental  to  life,  and  the  manage- 
ment of  it  intrusted  to  mortal  hands.  Well  might  the 
minister  exclaim  with  Paul,  "  Who  is  sufficient  for  these 
things  V9  With  John  Gloucester  and  his  faithful  few, 
in  view  of  all  their  difficulties,  from  this  time  there  was 
one  determination,  and  that  was,  to  "  work  while  it  was 
day,"  to  work  amid  every  opposing  force,  each  one 
adopting  the  Christian's  decision  : — 

"In  every  trouble  sharp  and  strong, 

My  soul  to  Jesus  flies  ; 
My  anchor  hold  is  firm  in  Him 

When  swelling  billows  rise." 
/ 

The  first  two  elders  elected  by  the  people  to  assist 
Mr.  Gloucester  in  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  Church, 
were  Messrs.  James  Prosser  and  Cato  Freeman.  These 
continued  to  labor  until  the  growing  wants  of  the  Church 
called  for  more  laborers  in  this  particular  department  of 
the  Lord's  vineyard,  when  Mr.  Quamany  Clarkson,  a 
member  of  Dr.  Janeway's  Church,  a  man  of  piety,  was 
importuned,  and  finally  consented  to  join  the  African 
Church,  and  give  himself  to  the  work  as  an  Elder  there- 
in :  he  was  accordingly  set  apart  for  the  office  by  Mr. 
Gloucester,  through  the  call  of  the  people.  For  years 


t  63  ] 

afterward  we  find  Mr.  Clarkson  punctually  representing 
his  Church  at  the  Presbytery,  and  seldom  absent.  His 
promptness  in  every  duty  was  said  by  his  contemporaries 
to  be  proverbial — truly,  he  was  a  shining  light  in  Zion. 
The  next  Elder  elected  by  the  people,  was  Jacob  Craig, 
mentioned  in  the  early  part  of  this  work :  he,  too,  was 
a  faithful  servant  to  his  God  and  to  his  calling.  These 
brethren  continued  to  officiate  in  the  Church  during  the 
whole  period  of  Mr.  Gloucester's  life  and  ministry,  and 
like  him,  labored  earnestly  to  advance  the  glory  of  their 
Lord,  and  the  best  interest  of  his  Church. 

Of  the  time  and  circumstances  of  Messrs.  Prosser  and 
Freeman's  election  and  setting  apart  for  the  office  and 
duties  of  elders,  we  have  no  record.  Unfortunately,  a 
circumstance  arose  in  the  Church,  which  will  be  stated 
hereafter,  that  deprived  the  remaining  session  of  the 
book  of  proceedings,  and  which,  if  their  election  and 
setting  apart  be  therein  recorded,  I  know  not ;  the  books 
until  this  day,  not  being  in  the  possession  of  the  present 
session.  This  is  lamentable,  for  much  useful  informa- 
tion might  have  been  gleaned  from  it,  and  the  brief  his- 
tory I  am  now  necessarily  compelled  to  record,  for  the 
want  of  dates,  &c.,  to  say  the  least,  might  have  been 
made  more  satisfactory. 

It  is  gratifying,  however,  to  look  back  upon  the  early 
labors  of  these  Christian  fathers,  and  behold  their  labor 
of  love,  and  how  they  wrought  in  their  Master's  ser- 
vice. May  it  not  be  truthfully  said  of  them,  "  Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servants  V9 

Before  passing  on  to  other  matters  connected  with 
this  Church,  I  must  call  attention  to  the  interest  taken 
in  the  Church  by  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  at  the 
time  when  the  property  was  being  purchased.  The 
Evangelical  Society  addressed  a  communication  to  Pres- 


[  64] 

bytery  upon  the  subject,  to  which  they  responded  favor- 
ably by  the  following  resolution,  dated  April,  1810: — 

"  Resolved,  That  all  the  Churches  within  our  bounds 
be  recommended,  so  soon  as  convenient,  to  take  up  col- 
lections for  the  said  purpose,  and  transmit  the  same  to 
Mr.  Isaac  Snowden." 

These  collections  were  made,  and  through  these 
sources,  together  with  those  already  alluded  to,  the  peo- 
ple and  their  friends  were  able,  as  has  been  seen,  to  col- 
lect at  least  the  largest  part  of  the  money  required  in 
order  to  a  commencement. 

In  reviewing  the  past,  it  is  a  pleasing  reflection,  and 
reminds  the  people  of  this  Church  of  the  good  King 
Hiram  of  Tyre,  who,  when  Solomon  would  build  the 
Temple  of  the  Most  High,  "rejoiced  greatly,  and  sent 
to  Solomon  saying,  I  have  considered  the  things  which 
thou  sentest  to  me  for,  and  I  will  do  all  thy  desire,  con- 
cerning timber  of  cedar,  and  concerning  timber  of  fir. 
My  servants  shall  bring  them  down  from  Lebanon  unto 
the  sea,  and  I  will  convey  them  by  floats  unto  the  place 
that  thou  shalt  appoint  me,  and  will  cause  them  to  be 
discharged  there,  and  thou  shalt  receive  them,  &c.,  and 
Solomon's  builders,  and  Hiram's  builders  did  hew  them, 
so  they  prepared  timber  to  build  the  house."  The  Pres- 
bytery has  ever  taken  a  deep  interest  in  this  Church, 
and  ever  been  watchful  of  its  interests.  As  a  proof  of 
this,  I  will  direct  attention  to  a  fact.  Before  the  build- 
ing was  completed,  Mr.  Gloucester  was  on  his  mission 
to  raise  money  to  purchase  his  wife  and  four  children : 
during  his  absence  the  Presbytery  became  a  nursing  fa- 
ther to  the  Church.  In  their  supplies  for  other  Churches 
within  their  bounds,  they  were  not  unmindful  of  this 
Zion.  Messrs.  Neill,  Ely,  Paterson,  Skinner,  Engles, 
Chandler,  Steel,  and  Wilson,  were  appointed  by  Presby- 


[  65  J 

tery  to  supply  the  pulpit  ^at  regular  stated  times ;  in 
short,  this  has  ever  been  done  by  Presbytery,  and  the 
pastors  have  ever  come  cheerfully  when  circumstances 
arose  to  make  it  necessary. 

Having  traced  the  church  from  1807  to  1811,  when 
it  was  taken  under  care  of  Presbytery,  we  may  now 
consider  it  as  fully  established  and  occupying  a  position 
among  the  Presbyterian  Churches  of  the  United  States. 
In  reviewing  the  struggles  of  this  church  during  these 
four  years,  we  cannot  but  be  struck  favorably  with  the 
perseverance  and  industry  of  the  people  amidst  every 
discouragement  growing  out  of  their  pecuniary  condi- 
tion ;  and  particularly  would  it  be  so  where,  on  the 
other  hand,  we  reflect  that  with  the  major  part  it  was 
something  new  to  be  thrown  upon  their  own  efforts, 
their  own  reflections  and  ideas  ;  and  how  well  they  sus- 
tained themselves  under  it  may  be  seen  from  the  short 
time  through  which  they  accomplished  so  much.  It 
should  be  remembered  that  their  pastor,  upon  whom 
they  depended  to  a  considerable  extent,  could  not  remain 
very  long  with  them  at  a  time  to  strengthen  their  hands 
and  encourage  their  hearts  ;  for  it  was  during  these  four 
years  that  he  travelled  extensively  in  order  to  purchase 
his  wife  and  children.  Surely  we  must  admire  the  spirit 
that  impelled  the  people,  and  the  mind  that  determined 
them  in  pushing  on  this  enterprise.  Then  if  we  con- 
sider the  opposition  encountered  at  the  commencement 
of  it,  as  I  have  already  alluded,  we  must  conclude  that 
their  determination  was  not  only  a  mark  of  their  sin- 
cerity, but  a  proof  that  their  religious  principles  were 
founded  in  their  duty  to  God,  and  a  conviction  that 
what  they  had  undertaken  was  well  pleasing  to  Him, 
whose  sustaining  hand  upheld  and  strengthened  them 
to  the  end. 
5 


[  66  ] 

There  are  some  things  in  close  keeping  with  Christian 
enterprises  upon  which  I  have  written  but  little,  and 
before  I  close  this  part  of  our  history  I  shall  avail  my- 
self of  the  opportunity  of  directing  the  attention  of  the 
reader.     I  do  this  for  two  reasons :  the  first  is  because 
it  is  due  to  our  fathers,  as  showing  a  feature  of  character 
in  them  which  we,  their  children,  should  not  only  pos- 
sess, but   diligently  cultivate,  and   religiously  impress 
upon  our  children.    The  second  is  to  show  the  principle 
upon  which  they  acted  in  every  effort.     These  two  rea- 
sons, when  maturely  considered,  will  be  found  to  be  more 
important   and   weighty   than   at   first   sight    appears. 
Christian  enterprises,  unlike  those  of  other  characters, 
are  not  so  much  determined  because  necessary  to  be 
done,  however  essential  and  commendable  this  may  be, 
but  the  views  entertained  of  its  importance,  the  principle 
that  governs,  and  the  motive  that  impels  in  their  accom- 
plishment, are  the  true  elements  to  be  regarded  as  the 
basis  of  action.     This  I  conceive  to  be  the  true  Chris- 
tian view  entertained,  whether  it  relates  to  the  giving 
an  aim  to  the  beggar  in  the  street,  or  sending  across  the 
wide  ocean,  through  missionary  labors,  the  Gospel  of  the 
Son  of  God  to  the  daily  perishing  heathen,  or  the  rais- 
ing of  a  congregation  of  religious  worshippers,  building 
a  church  edifice  for  the  service  of  the  Most  High,  or 
any  enterprise  whatever  where  Christian  effort  is   re- 
quired;   unless  the    above  element   predominates,  and 
enters  into  all  of  our  actions,  our  efforts  will,  to  every 
honest  mind,  be  divested  of  its  most  intrinsic  value. 
Our  fathers  acted  upon  the  principle  of  religious  or 
Christian  duty  to  God,  and  the  good  of  humanity,  when 
they  undertook  to  establish  and  build  up  this  Zion ;  there 
was  a  conviction  in  their  minds  that  what  they  were 
doing  was  for  the  advancement  of  God's  glory  among 


[  67  ] 

men  to  unborn  generations,  and  conceiving  it  to  be  con- 
ducive to  God's  glory,  they  saw  it  was  their  duty  to 
enter  upon  the  work  with  all  their  heart,  and  soul,  and 
strength.  The  question  may  arise  to  some,  as  it  did  to 
me,  From  whence  those  ideas  I  The  answer  is  a  ready  one, 
and  can  be  traced  through  every  act  during  their  life : 
it  is  "  love  to  God."  Upon  this  heaven-born  principle 
were  their  motives  based;  hence  their  perseverance, 
industry,  zeal,  and  success.  Could  they  fail]  Could 
they  be  discouraged  I  Upon  this  principle  we  determine 
the  character  of  each  man  and  woman  associated  with 
Mr.  Gloucester.  It  is  said  by  a  writer  that  we  are  "imi- 
tative creatures ;"  in  the  matter  under  consideration,  at 
least,  I  shall  be  willing  to  accept  the  assertion,  and  reit- 
erate it,  and  say  truly  our  fathers  did  imitate  the  blessed 
Jesus  in  this  Christian  effort.  Jesus  wrought  his  works 
from  a  principle:  that  principle  was  deep  love  for 
humanity ;  he  had  no  selfishness  in  all  he  did,  no  other 
end  in  view  but  another's  good,  and  not  his  own.  Love 
was  the  principle  that  impelled  him.  In  this  our  fathers 
were  "imitative  creatures;"  hence  their  piety,  Christian 
fortitude,  and  glorious  success,  and,  as  I  firmly  believe, 
their  felicity^and  joy  in  the  Kingdom  of  Glory.  Another 
thought  upon  this  subject  before  I  pass  on.  It  is  not 
perceived  in  all  or  any  of  the  measures  proposed  during 
the  time  of  raising  means  for  the  building  of  this  church, 
that  any  one  thing  was  done  not  in  perfect  keeping  with 
Christian  principle,  or  one  that  would  inv  the  least  inva- 
lidate or  compromise  any  of  its  divine  teachings.  Our 
fathers  were  too  well  instructed  in  the  nature  and  re- 
quirements of  their  holy  religion  to  be  led  away  by  any 
extraneous  appendages  that  may  be  hitched  on  to  Chris- 
tian profession;  if  anything  was  to  be  accomplished, 
they  obeyed  the  Christian  rule,  and  gave  of  their  sub- 


[  68  J 

stance,  as  God  had  blessed  them ;  they  contributed  them- 
selves as  they  were  able,  and  when  they  failed,  after 
every  effort  on  their  part  was  expended,  they  then  felt, 
as  all  Christians  should  feel,  that  they  had  claims  on 
the  universal  Church  of  Christ  for  help ;  and  wherever 
among  God's  people  access  can  be  had,  there  they  had 
a  right  to  make  their  wants  known,  and  their  case  felt ; 
conventional  rules,  regulations,  and  laws  to  the  contrary, 
notwithstanding — these  should  be  pushed  aside  when 
charity  is  needed,  and  Christian  embarrassments  made 
known.  Theatrical  shows,  feasts,  and  entertainments 
(now  extensively  practised  in  the  form  of  suppers  and 
dinners),  and  all  this  train  of  paraphernalia,  should  be 
most  religiously  avoided,  as  tending  to  divert  from  Chris- 
tian principle  to  the  gratification  of  sensual  pleasure, 
what  else  is  it  but  taking  the  very  livery  of  the  wicked 
one  to  serve  the  God  of  glory  with  I  This  is  not  Christ- 
like,  neither,  indeed,  can  be :  to  be  Christian,  all  our 
efforts  must  spring  from  Christian  principles. 


SEPARATION   OF  THE   CONGREGATION   INTO   TWO    DIS- 
TINCT BODIES,  AND  ITS  CAUSE. 

It  is  not  a  pleasant  task  for  me  to  record  the  misun- 
derstanding that  took  place  in  the  Church,  whereby  it 
was  divided  into  two  separate  bodies  ;  it  was,  and  is  still 
to  be  regarded  as  deplorable,  but  as  a  matter  of  his- 
tory connected  with  the  first  African  Church,  it  has  to 
be  put  on  record.  In  doing  so,  however,  it  shall  be  my 
conclusion  to  give  the  simple  truth  without  partiality, 
and,  I  will  take  the  occasion  to  remark,  that  whatever 
views  I  may  express  herein  upon  divisions  and  dissen- 
sions in  churches  or  religious  bodies,  will  be  understood 


[  69  ] 

as  having  a  general  allusion,  and  will,  I  hope,  be  so  en- 
tertained by  the  reader. 

The  congregation,  as  we  have  seen,  was  supplied  by 
Presbytery  with  preaching  from  the  death  of  Mr. 
Gloucester,  and  now  feeling  desirous  of  calling  a  minis- 
ter to  take  the  pastoral  oversight  of  the  Church,  con- 
cluded to  do  so.  Consequently,  on  the  1st  May,  1823, 
the  session  met  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Francis  Webb — 
present,  Elders  Jacob  Craig,  James  Prosser,  Peter  Mc- 
Neal,  Quamany  Clarkson,  and  Francis  Webb. 

Rev.  Wm.  Neill  having  been  invited  to  moderate,  the 
session  proceeded  to  business  by  taking  into  view  the 
wants  of  the  congregation  for  a  pastor.  It  was  decided 
that  as  the  growing  wants  of  the  Church  demanded  a 
settled  pastor,  therefore  : — 

Resolved,  That  the  congregation  be  notified  on  the 
next  Lord's  day,  from  the  pulpit,  to  convene  on  the 
Thursday  following,  at  4  o'clock  P.  M.,  in  the  church, 
for  the  purpose  of  electing  a  pastor,  if  such  be  their 
wish. 

It  was  agreed  by  session,  that  the  names  of  all  per- 
sons entitled  to  a  vote  in  the  election  be  enrolled  in  a 
book,  and  each  name  called  out  as  recorded,  in  order, 
and  each  person  at  liberty  to  vote  as  they  may  think 
most  proper.  And  further,  the  session,  to  prevent  all 
complaints  and  misunderstandings,  recommend  the  trus- 
tees to  notify  all  pew  holders  who  are  indebted  to  the 
Church,  and  desire  to  vote  on  this  election,  to  meet  the 
Pew  Committee  on  Tuesday  next,  in  the  church,  in 
the  morning  from  9  to  1  o'clock,  and  in  the  afternoon 
from  3  to  6  o'clock,  for  the  settlement  of  any  claims 
against  them  by  the  corporation,  whereby  they  might  be 
prevented  from  voting.  It  was  also  determined,  that  all 
persons  producing  receipts  in  full  up  to  January  1,  1823, 


[  70  ] 

will  be  entitled  to  a  vote  in  the  election.  (Min.  book, 
pages  2-3.) 

On  Thursday,  May  8,  1822,  agreeably  to  public  no- 
tice, the  congregation  met  in  the  church,  Dr.  Jane  way 
presiding.  He  opened  the  meeting  by  addressing  the 
throne  of  Grace  for  direction  in  the  business  that  called 
them  together ;  after  which,  he  gave  a  suitable  discourse 
to  the  occasion,  and  informed  the  congregation  that  if  it 
was  their  wish  he  would  proceed  to  take  the  votes  for 
the  election  of  a  pastor.  A  motion  was  here  made  for 
an  indefinite  postponement  of  the  election.  This  mo- 
tion was  put,  and  lost,  53  voting  for,  and  79  against  it. 

The  Moderator  requested  a  nomination,  when  the 
Rev.  Samuel  E.  Cornish  was  nominated.  The  Modera- 
tor asked  if  there  was  any  other  nomination.  There 
being  no  other  candidate  offered,  the  congregation  pro- 
ceeded to  ballot,  which  being  done,  the  votes  were 
counted,  when  it  was  found  that  78  votes  were  in  favor 
of  Mr.  Cornish,  and  48  against  him.  Mr.  Cornish  was 
then  declared  elected.  A  call  for  Mr.  Cornish  was  or- 
dered, and  the  congregation  directed  the  trustees  and 
elders  to  sign  the  call  when  made  out.  The  following 
named  brethren  were  appointed  as  commissioners  to 
prosecute  it  before  Presbytery :  Robert  Douglas,  Ezekiel 
Harmon,  and  Quamany  Clarkson.  (Extract  from  Min., 
pages  3  &  4.) 

To  say  that  this  election  passed  off  peaceably,  would 
be  more  than  I  can  venture  to  affirm.  It  would  be  a 
pleasant  duty  so  to  record  it,  but  unfortunately  for  the 
church  and  the  cause  of  the  Redeemer,  it  created  an 
unhappy  state  of  things  in  the  church.  The  minority 
(and  it  was  by  no  means  a  small  one)  was  opposed  to 
Mr.  Cornish,  not  on  account  of  anything  against  his 
character  as  a  man  or  a  Christian ;  not  because  he  was 


incapable  of  taking  the  pastoral  charge  of  the  church ; 
not  because  his  intellectual  acquirements  were  insuffi- 
cient ;  none  of  these  considerations  influenced  them  in 
voting  against  him,  and,  I  am  truly  happy  here  to  insert, 
for  the  information  of  the  reader,  and  in  justice  to  Mr. 
Cornish,  that  some  who  voted  with  the  minority  said  to 
me  personally,  that  nothing  existed  with  them  against 
him,  either  morally,  socially,  or  religiously;  that  they 
respected  him  as  a  Christian  and  a  gentleman;  and  their 
only  reason  for  voting  as  they  did,  was,  they  preferred 
Mr.  Jeremiah  Gloucester,  he  being  a  son  of  their  be- 
loved and  deceased  pastor.  However,  to  resume  our 
narrative,  the  call  was  presented  to  Presbytery  on  the 
15th  October,  1822,  sitting  at  Doylestown.  Presbytery 
finding  a  warm  opposition  by  a  large  minority: — 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three  ministers  and 
two  elders  be  appointed  to  visit  the  church,  and  inquire 
into  the  state  of  the  congregation,  and  observe  a  season 
of  fasting  and  prayer  with  them,  and  report  at  next 
meeting  of  Presbytery. 

Itevs.  Boyd,  Paterson,  and  Biggs,  and  Elders  Messrs. 
Stewart  and  McMullin,  were  appointed.  This  commit- 
tee attended  to  the  instructions  received  from  Presby- 
tery, with  what  success  the  subsequent  action  of  Pres- 
bytery will  explain,  for  at  a  session  held  by  the  Presby- 
tery, in  the  Second  Church,  on  Nov.  28,  1822,  the  above 
committee  made  a  report,  that  leave  be  granted  to  prose- 
cute the  call  for  Mr.  Cornish  before  the  Presbytery  of 
New  York,  of  which  he  was  a  member.  This  was  ac- 
ceded to  by  Presbytery,  but  during  the  session  a  minor- 
ity report  was  received,  and  as  it  appeared  to  the  Pres- 
bytery that  there  was  not  sufficient  unanimity  in  the  call 
of  Mr.  Cornish  to  render  his  ministry  useful  among  the 
people,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  advise  with  and 


[  72  ] 

try  to  heal  any  division  that  may  exist  in  the  church. 
Dr.  Wm.  Neill,  Messrs.  McMnllin  and  Bradford,  were 
appointed. 

This  committee  likewise  attended  to  the  business 
assigned  them,  for  on  July  1st,  1823,  presbytery  being 
in  session,  and  the  subject  coming  up  for  their  action, 
it  was  considered,  and  finally  resolved  that  leave  be 
granted  to  the  congregation  to  prosecute  the  call  for  Mr. 
Cornish ;  but  the  whole  thing  was  for  the  present  frus- 
trated by  the  minority,  they  appealing  to  synod  against 
the  action  of  presbytery.  To  be  brief  upon  this  subject, 
for  it  is  in  no  way  pleasant  to  dwell  upon,  the  entire 
matter  was  taken  to  synod  upon  the  appeal,  and  the 
synod  confirmed  the  action  of  the  presbytery;  conse- 
quently the  commissioners  were  at  liberty  to  prosecute 
the  call.  The  decision  of  synod  being  made  known  to 
the  minority,  they  appealed  from  the  decision  to  the 
general  assembly.  Before  the  general  assembly  met,  the 
minority  concluded  to  drop  the  matter,  at  least  so  far 
as  any  action  of  the  assembly  may  concern  it. 

In  the  mean  time,  however,  both  parties  were  not  idle 
in  their  endeavors  to  obtain  their  several  ends :  this  was 
unfortunate.  If  anything  could  have  been  done,  at  this 
juncture,  to  heal  the  unhappy  differences  between  these 
brethren,  how  desirable  and  blessed  would  it  have  been ! 
what  a  tremendous  blow  to  the  cause  of  Christianity, 
the  progress  of  our  own  denominational  interests  in 
Philadelphia,  the  union  and  harmony  among  our  people, 
would  have  been  arrested.  But  alas  the  friends  of  the 
church  were  doomed  to  sad  disappointment :  that  blow 
fell ;  it  fell  with  fearful  violence,  and  its  effects  are  felt 
even  at  this  late  period,  from  which  I  am  writing.  How 
true  it  is  that  great  effects  from  very  small  causes  grow. 
So  in  this  instance  it  was  but  a  very  little  matter  in  the 


[  73  ] 

beginning,  but  it  kindled  a  great  fire  among  the  people, 
which  no  earthly  interference  could  extinguish,  as  we 
have,  and  will  still  further  see.  I  have  said  why  the 
minority  opposed  the  call  of  Mr.  Cornish  to  the  church ; 
I  will  here  give  their  reasons  for  so  doing  more  fully, 
and  also  their  subsequent  action. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  previous  to  the  death  of 
Mr.  Gloucester  he  had  written  a  letter  to  presbytery, 
recommending  his  son  Jeremiah  as  a  candidate  for  the 
Gospel  ministry,  and  to  be  taken  under  care  of  presby- 
tery. This  young  man  was  received  under  care  of  pres- 
bytery, and  prosecuted  his  studies  with  energy,  and  his 
future  was  regarded  by  his  presbytery  and  the  church 
as  encouraging  and  hopeful;  the  affections  of  a  portion 
of  the  church  clustered  around  him,  and  they  regarded 
him  as  the  future  pastor  of  the  church,  as  soon  as  he 
had  finished  his  studies,  and  was  licensed  by  his  presby- 
tery. In  view  of  this,  when  the  proposition  was  made 
to  call  a  pastor  to  the  charge  of  the  church,  these  breth- 
ren, who  were  favorable  to  Mr.  Jeremiah  Gloucester, 
dissented  from  calling  any  one  to  the  church ;  entering 
the  plea  that  the  presbytery  had  heretofore  supplied  the 
church  with  the  first  and  most  efficient  ministers  in  the 
presbytery,  and  had  ever  entertained  toward  the  church 
the  deepest  and  greatest  concern  in  all  their  interests ; 
and  as  it  would  not  be  very  long  before  Mr.  Gloucester 
would  be  through  with  his  studies,  they  would  prefer 
waiting.  To  this,  however,  the  other  party  objected, 
pleading  the  wants  of  the  church  ;  its  spiritual  interests, 
they  said,  were  waning ;  they  wanted  a  pastor  to  go  in 
among  the  people  in  their  houses,  as  in  the  church,  to 
attend  in  sickness,  and  to  visit  among  the  families,  and 
so  keep  up  an  interest  for  the  church.  Here  then  was 
the  difficulty.  Could  one  or  the  other  of  these  parties 


[  74] 

have  yielded,  how  much  bitterness  would  have  been 
avoided !  I  must  be  permitted  here  to  record,  in  justice 
to  the  brethren  who  were  in  favor  of  calling  Mr.  Cornish, 
that,  upon  their  side,  they  had  no  objection  to  Mr.  Glou- 
cester; they  regarded  him  with  much  concern,  and, 
indeed,  tenderness,  for  he  was  the  son  of  their  deceased 
pastor;  how  else  could  they  regard  him  but  with  interest  I 
But  as  he  had  not  finished  his  studies,  and  the  spiritual 
wants  of  the  people  called  so  loudly  for  the  services  of  a 
pastor,  they  felt  that  all  personal  partialities  should  be 
waived,  in  consideration  of  the  spiritual  wants  among 
the  people.  Upon  these  opposite  views  I  make  no  re- 
marks ;  let  every  reader  weigh  them,  and  decide  for 
himself.  Every  effort  being  expended  to  reconcile  these 
parties,  and  there  being  no  probable  prospect  of  healing 
the  differences,  the  minority  concluded,  after  mature 
deliberation,  to  withdraw  and  form  another  church  or 
congregation.  To  this  end,  on  the  9th  of  March,  1824, 
not  quite  two  years  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Gloucester, 
a  petition,  signed  by  seventy-five  persons,  was  presented 
to  presbytery,  requesting  to  be  organized  into  a  Second 
African  Church.  This  petition  was  protested  against  by 
the  session  of  the  church,  upon  the  ground  that,  as  the 
petitioners  were  either  communicants  or  pew-holders, 
their  petition  be  not  granted  until  they  shall  comply 
with  their  engagements  to  the  church,  and  be  regularly 
dismissed ;  whereupon  presbytery  passed  the  following 
resolution :  "  Having  heard  the  parties  fully,  and  maturely 
deliberated  on  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  that  this 
presbytery  are  fully  satisfied  that  the  parties  which  have 
existed  in  the  First  African  Church  are  of  such  a  nature 
that  further  attempts  to  reconcile  them  are  inexpedient, 
and  that  it  will  be  for  the  peace  of  the  church,  and  for 
the  promotion  of  the  Gospel,  that  a  Second  African 


Church,  of  our  denomination,  be  organized  in  this  city." 
(Min.  Presb.,  p.  366.) 

It  would  be  uninteresting  to  state  what  followed  upon 
the  division  of  this  church,  and  it  is  just  at  this  place 
we  must  recall  to  the  mind  of  the  reader  what  I  said  in 
the  commencement  of  this  narrative,  that  not  having 
the  early  records  of  the  church  during  Mr.  Gloucester's 
life,  prevents  me  from  inserting  in  this  history,  no  doubt, 
much  that  is  really  necessary  to  be  known,  for  when  the 
minority  withdrew  from  the  church,  singular  as  it  may 
seem,  they  took  the  records  of  the  church  along  with 
them,  and  hence,  the  church  was  thrown  upon  the  neces- 
sity of  recording,  as  far  as  they  were  able  from  memory, 
their  early  history;  and  it  has  caused  the  writer  no 
small  amount  of  labor  to  obtain  what  dates  and  facts  are 
herein  recorded. 

In  dropping  this  disagreeable  part  of  the  history  of 
the  First  Church  in  its  division,  and  offering  our  reflec- 
tions upon  it  and  all  other  instances  like  it,  I  repeat 
again,  that  I  wish  to  be  understood  as  having  a  general 
allusion. 

As  it  is  in  civil  communities,  so  in  religious  ones. 
According  to  the  manner  in  which  matters  are  at  pre- 
sent constituted,  divisions,  contentions  and  strife,  will, 
in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  prevail.  This  state  of  things 
need  not  necessarily  exist,  particularly  in  the  Church  of 
Christ.  It  has,  indeed,  been  argued  by.  some,  that  in 
order  to  purge  the  church  from  corruption  and  error, 
these  elements  of  discord  are  necessary  and  beneficial ; 
and  I  have  been  told  repeatedly,  that  as  thunder  and 
lightning  purge  and  purify  the  atmosphere,  so  these 
conflicting  elements  in  the  church  produce  like  results. 
But  I  think  the  apostle  finds  an  answer  to  such  an  as- 
sertion, and  as  I  am  treating  upon  a  purely  religious 


[  76  ] 

subject,  it  may  be  in  order  to  lay  down  his  laconic 
question  and  answer  to  this  very  matter  under  consider- 
ation. He  asks,  then,  "  From  whence  come  wars  and 
fightings  among  you  I  Come  they  not  hence,  even  of 
your  lusts  that  war  in  your  members'?"  Here,  then, 
could  we  be  permitted  to  look  behind  the  screen,  at  the 
propelling  power  put  into  motion  by  men  and  parties  in 
the  church,  or  at  the  machinery  that  operates  with  its 
spur  wheels  and  running  gear,  we  would  soon  see  how 
far  a  necessity  goes  for  purging  and  purifying  the  church 
of  the  Redeemer  of  its  errors  and  corruptions.  I  do 
not  deny  that  God  does  exercise  a  moral  government  in 
the  church,  but  that  government  is  one  so  ordered  in 
wisdom  as  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  an  error  in  its 
administration  or  in  its  results  ;  but  it  is  not  in  confu- 
sions and  strife,  for  God's  government  is  like  himself, 
of  order,  as  he  is  of  love ;  and  when,  therefore,  there 
are  seen  contentions  and  strifes  in  the  church,  the  God 
of  this  world,  and  not  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  has  gotten  by  some  means  among  the  peo- 
ple, and  sown  these  tares  therein.  O  !  that  "  God's  peo- 
ple were  wise,"  that  they  would  deny  themselves  of 
every  temper  that  brings  contentions  and  divisions. 
There  can  be  no  good  reason  shown  why  any  body  of 
Christians  should  be  divided,  unless  for  prudential  and 
beneficial  purposes,  and  those  for  the  interests  of  all 
concerned,  founded  all  in  Christian  love.  As  an  Apos- 
tle expresses,  "  Let  all  things  be  done  in  charity." 

The  church  is  represented  in  Scripture  as  the  family 
of  God.  All  who  are  spiritual  members  of  it  are  his 
dear  children  by  adoption,  as  well  as  by  redemption. 
It  seems  clear,  then,  that  they  constitute  his  family  on 
earth,  as  the  angels  are  of  his  family  in  bliss.  Can  there 
be  shown,  then,  why  the  same  affection  and  interest  in 


[  77  ] 

each  other  of  the  family  on  earth,  should  not  exist  as  it 
does  in  the  family  in  heaven  I  It  is  regarded  as  a  very 
unhappy  state  where  divisions  exist  in  families,  and  \ve 
view  it  as  truly  deplorable  where  there  are  alienations 
and  separations,  and  every  virtuous  and  order-loving 
man  regards  it  in  that  light.  Is  the  church,  then,  for 
which  the  Saviour  poured  out  his  life  blood,  to  be  con- 
sidered less  important,  less  interesting,  and  less  in  the 
eyes  of  the  Redeemer's  blood-bought  family,  than  the 
relations  existing  among  us  in  our  domestic  and  social 
ties,  however  sacred  and  tender  they  should  be  I  Well 
for  the  church,  for  the  world,  and  for  the  glory  of  Christ's 
kingdom,  could  this  exceeding  and  deeply  interesting 
subject  be  more  considered,  and  receive  our  undivided 
attention.  When  will  God's  people  love  like  little  chil- 
dren I  When  will  they  see  eye  to  eye  I  When  the 
Saviour  was  born  in  Bethlehem,  the  song  of  the  angels 
as  heard  by  the  wise  men,  was,  "  Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest — peace  on  earth,  good  will  to  men."  When 
Jesus  had  grown  from  a  babe  to  a  man,  and  finished  the 
work  he  came  to  do  as  sung  by  the  angels,  and  was  about 
to  return  into  the  heavens  from  whence  he  came,  he  left 
this  blessed  sweet  gift  to  his  precious  and  dear  follow- 
ers, "  Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I  give  unto 
you.  Not  as  the  world  giveth  give  I  unto  you,"  and 
yet  again  he  says,  "A  new  commandment  I  give  unto 
you,  that  ye  love  one  another  as  I  have  loved  you,  that 
ye  also  love  one  another.  By  this  shall  all  men  know 
that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  another." 
What,  then,  shall  we  say  when  disputings  and  divisions 
prevail  among  God's  people  ]  Wo  to  that  man  through 
wrhom  they  come ;  it  were  better  for  him  that  a  millstone 
were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and  he  cast  into  the  sea. 
It  is  regarded  as  a  horrid  cruel  thing  to  distract  and  di- 


vide  our  earthly  friends  and  break  up  family  ties,  and 
thus  causing  separation  and  estrangement,  if  not  bitter- 
ness and  wrath  among  them.  Will  not,  does  not  God 
so  regard  it  as  a  crime  where  a  like  course  is  pursued 
toward  His  family  in  the  church  1  Will  he  not  visit  in 
sore  displeasure  any  who  wilfully,  presumptuously,  and 
knowingly  divide  his  people  I  It  requires  no  stretch  of 
human  insight  to  see  the  certainty  of  it,  and  let  me  re- 
mark here,  that  though  for  a  season  or  time  they  may 
prosper  and  bid  fair,  and  all  their  doings  may  seem  clear 
and  bright  as  a  "  bright  midsummer's  day,"  yet  will  the 
displeasure  of  the  Almighty  overtake  them,  and  by  his 
own  mysterious  way  by  which  he  governs  the  universe,  sit 
as  with  a  clear  heat  on  their  works  and  measures,  burning 
and  scorching  up  and  producing  such  drought  upon  it 
as  to  make  it  evident  that  the  face  of  the  Almighty  is 
set  against  them.  "  Though  it  tarry,  yet  will  it  come," 
saith  the  Lord. 

Happy  for  Mr.  Gloucester  that  no  division  took  place 
in  his  clay.  It  would  have  crushed  and  broken  his 
spirit,  no  doubt,  and  brought  him  to  a  premature  grave. 
But  the  good  God  spared  him  the  sight  of  seeing  the 
church  of  his  care — the  object  of  his  prayers — the  hopes 
of  his  future  comfort  in  his  declining  years — distracted 
and  riven  asunder  by  those  who  were  the  companions 
of  his  trials,  and  his  partners  in  his  early  struggles  for 
the  church. 

The  church  being  now  divided,  the  only  alternative 
left  to  the  remaining  members  was  to  cast  about  arid 
adopt  such  measures  as  were  best  calculated  to  advance 
their  interest ;  in  this  they  were  not  without  the  best 
advisers ;  the  same  friends  that  always  stood  by  them 
did  not  forsake  them  in  this  time  of  their  troubles ;  the 
presbytery  once  more  became  a  nursing  father  to  them ; 


[  79  ] 

they  continued  the  pulpit -supply,  and  saw  that  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  church  were  attended  to.    From  the  time 
that   the  church  was  divided,  the   troubled  waters   of 
contention  abated,  the  storm  of  confusion  was  stilled, 
and  peace  and  order  again  restored  in  this  house  of  the 
Lord  ;  so  that,  from  March  9th,  1824,  when  the  receding 
party  left,  to  the  subsequent  call  of  Mr.  Hughes,  every- 
thing went  on  as  prosperously  as  could  be  expected  under 
the  circumstances  that  surrounded  them ;  of  course  it 
must  be  presumed  that,  from  the  withdrawing  from  the 
communion  of  the  church  of  so  large  a  body  as  the 
minority  was  composed,  it  weakened   considerably  the 
church,  and  their  efforts  to  some  extent  affected.     To 
their  credit,  however,  be  it  said,  they  staggered  not  at 
the  promises  of  God ;  they  knew  in  whom  they  believed, 
and  on  whose  arm  they  leaned  for  support ;  they  took 
courage  from  the  past,  and  became  hopeful  of  the  future. 
Their  first  act,  after  the  division,  was  to  renew  the 
call  to  Mr.  Cornish :  they  accordingly  addressed  a  letter 
to  him,  and  received  an  answer  "  that,  as  the  matter  of 
a   call  had  been  so    long  delayed,   and   that,  as  many 
changes  had  taken  place  since  the  commencement  of  the 
business,  and  on  viewing  the  whole  train   of  circum- 
stances together,  he  thought  it  to  be  most  prudent  for 
him  to  decline  the  acceptance  of  the  call,"  &c.     This 
was  reported  in  session,  April  9,  1824,  one  month  after 
the  division  took  place.     On  the  14th  April,  1824,  the 
congregation  met,  Dr.  Janeway  presiding.    After  prayer 
by  the  chairman,  he  stated  the  object  of  the  meeting, 
and,  if  agreeable  to  them,  would  proceed  to  take  the 
votes  of  the  electors  for  a  pastor ;  they  declared  it  by  an 
unanimous  vote.     They  then  nominated  Mr.  Benjamin 
Hughes.     There  being  no  other  person  nominated,  the 
congregation  proceeded  to  ballot,  when  an  unanimous 


[  SO  ] 

vote  was  given  for  Mr.  Hughes.  A  call  was  subse- 
quently made  out,  presented  to  Philadelphia  Presby- 
tery, of  wThich  Mr.  Hughes  was  a  licentiate,  and  ac- 
cepted by  him.  The  Presbytery  appointed  the  4th 
May,  1824,  as  the  time  for  his  ordination  and  installa- 
tion, and  appointed  Dr.  Green  to  preside,  Rev.  Mr. 
Chandler  to  preach  the  sermon,  Rev.  Mr.  Biggs,  to 
deliver  the  charge  to  the  pastor  and  people.  On  the 
day  above  specified,  the  Presbytery  met  in  the  African 
Church,  Dr.  Green  presiding,  Dr.  Ely,  clerk,  present, 
Revds.  Drs.  Janeway,  Potts,  Neill,  Biggs,  Ballentine, 
Engles,  and  Scott,  Rev.  Mr.  Arbuckle,  of  the  Presby- 
tery of  Niagara,  Rev.  Mr.  Mclnnes,  of  the  Second  Pres- 
bytery of  Philadelphia,  being  present,  were  invited,  and 
took  seats.  Dr.  Chandler  preached  the  sermon  from 
Jer.  xxvi.  15:  "For  of  a  truth  the  Lord  hath  sent  me 
unto  you  to  speak  all  these  words  in  your  ears."  Dr. 
Green  propounded  the  constitutional  questions,  and 
offered  the  ordaining  prayer,  during  which  the  Presby- 
tery imposed  their  hands.  Mr.  Biggs,  in  accordance 
to  appointment,  gave  the  charge  to  the  pastor  and  peo- 
ple. The  right  hand  of  fellowship  was  then  given  Mr. 
Hughes,  and  he  took  his  seat  as  a  member  of  Presby- 
tery. The  interesting  ceremonies  being  over,  and  the 
church,  in  possession  of  a  new  minister,  at  once  assumed 
a  cheerful  appearance,  for,  during  the  brief  period  of 
Mr.  Hughes'  administration,  some  who  had  strayed  away 
from  the  communion  of  the  church  returned,  and  whilst 
it  may  be  true  that  there  were  none  added,  yet  there 
appeared  a  brighter  prospect  dawning  for  them.  But 
again  was  this  church  doomed  to  disappointment.  Mr. 
Hughes,  after  remaining  about  six  months,  informed 
Presbytery  that  the  support  received  not  being  sufficient 
to  sustain  him,  he  was  compelled  to  engage  in  some 


[  81  ] 

mercantile  pursuit,  in  order  to  sustain  himself.  The 
Presbytery  appointed  a  committee  to  confer  with  Mr. 
Hughes  upon  the  subject,  and  offer  their  advice  and 
views  upon  it;  the  result  of  the  consultation  may  be 
gathered  from  the  fact  that,  on  October  31,  1824,  Mr. 
Hughes  convened  the  session,  and  notified  them  of  his 
intention  to  withdraw  from  the  pastoral  office  he  held, 
and  on  November  18,  1824,  he  laid  his  request  of  with- 
drawing before  the  Presbytery,  which,  after  both  Mr. 
Hughes  and  the  elders  of  the  church  were  heard,  the 
request  was  granted,  and  the  church  declared  to  be 
vacant.  Thus  again  was  the  church  thrown  upon  Pres- 
bytery for  supplies,  and  it  was  cheerfully  granted.  We 
have  now  to  pass  over  a  space  of  three  years,  during 
which  time  many  useful  reflections  may  be  gathered,  and 
many  interesting  occurrences  observed :  it  could  not  be 
supposed  otherwise.  Here  was  a  congregation  laboring 
under  so  many  discouraging  circumstances,  still  holding 
out,  and  looking  forward  for  better  days.  And  what 
makes  it  interesting  to  the  observant  mind  is  that,  in 
a  city  like  Philadelphia,  where  there  were  such  pros* 
perous  churches  ;  so  many  zealous  and  efficient  minis- 
ters; such  progress  and  prosperity;  such  extension 
and  addition  to  membership ;  such  zeal  and  energy  put 
forth  by  the  efforts  of  these  several  church  members  to 
add  to  their  several  denominations,  we  think  must  have 
acted  with  tremendous  effect  upon  this  Presbyterian 
body.  The  Second  African  Church  also,  at  this  time, 
was  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  prosperity,  with  Mr.  Jere- 
miah Gloucester  as  its  pastor,  a  large  and  flowing  attend- 
ance on  his  ministry :  all  calculated  to  crush  out  what- 
ever of  life  might  have  remained  in  the  old  church.  And 
again,  it  becomes  more  discouraging  when  we  reflect 
that  the  prospect  of  obtaining  another  minister  was  com- 
6 


[  82  ] 

pletely  cut  off,  for  at  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing 
there  were  but  three  colored  clergymen  in  all  the  United 
States  in  connection  with  the  Presbyterian  Church.  How 
sad  and  gloomy,  then,  the  prospects  of  this  church,  when 
compared  with  all  the  rest.  Of  the  three  Presbyterian 
ministers  alluded  to,  Mr.  Cornish  was  interestingly 
engaged  in  New  York,  in  an  enterprise  that  has,  under 
God,  established  many  Presbyterian  Churches  in.  that 
State.  Mr.  Hughes,  as  we  have  seen,  not  only  left  his 
pastoral  charge  and  engaged  in  mercantile  speculations, 
but  left  the  city,  in  fact  the  United  States,  and  when  last 
heard  from  was  in  Africa,  where,  after  a  brief  stay,  he 
died.  And  Mr.  Jeremiah  Gloucester  was  then  over  the 
Second  African  Church.  The  Methodist  churches,  at 
this  time,  were  in  full  blast.  lit.  Rev.  Richard  Allen 
had  recently  drawn  out  from  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  set  up  an  independent  organization,  go- 
verned and  controlled  by  black  men,  whither  the  people 
were  flocking  by  thousands,  as  we  shall  see  at  the  end 
of  this  volume.  The  fact  that  preachers  in  abundance 
\vere  scouring  the  city  with  true  missionary  courage 
and  zeal,  and  compelling  people  of  all  kinds,  and  of  all 
characters,  to  come  in,  pressed  also  with  no  small  effect 
upon  this  First  Presbyterian  Church. 

St.  Thomas'  Church,  also,  with  Rev.  Absalom  Jones 
as  its  pastor,  the  fast  friend  of  Mr.  John  Gloucester, 
was  in  the  glory  of  her.  strength,  throwing  a  mighty 
influence  in  the  city  among  the  intelligent  and  refined. 
Casting  a  steady  and  intensifying  heat  in  that  direction, 
she  drew  to  her  communion  and  embrace  the  wealth 
and  talent  of  Philadelphia;  what  chance  then  in  this 
direction  for  the  First  African  Presbyterian  Church. 
And  here  I  will  say  that  St.  Thomas'  members  (like 
their  pastor)  never  forsook  the  old  church ;  they  were 


[  83  ] 

ever  friendly,  and  are  so  until  this  day,  and  it  is 
no  uncommon  sight  at  present,  on  the  first  Sabbath 
afternoon  of  every  month,  for  many  of  them  to  be 
found  worshipping  in  this  Church;  but,  however,  all 
things  considered,  it  must  be  allowed  that  the  pros- 
pects of  the  church  were  discouraging,  to  say  the  least 
of  it;  but,  my  readers,  there  were  strong  men  in  the 
old  church ;  there  were  Boanerges  there,  men  of  God, 
valiant  men,  men  whose  hearts  were  full  of  love  to 
God,  and  full  of  zeal  for  His  glory  in  the  church,  and 
considered  no  labor  too  great,  no  sacrifice  too  dear,  and 
no  discouragement  so  gloomy,  as  to  deter  them  from 
laboring  on,  and  laboring  ever,  to  build  up  their  Zion ; 
there  was  that  stanch  old  man,  Quamany  Clarkson, 
the  early  and  tried  colaborer  with  Mr.  Gloucester,  and 
no  less  so  Peter  McNeal,  in  spirit  like  unto  Peter; 
there,  also,  was  Jacob  Craig,  another  faithful  elder  of 
the  church ;  and  of  the  trustees,  Messrs.  Robert 
Douglass,  Ezekiel  Harmon,  Abr.  Depee,  Wm.  Hollis, 
with  many  others,  all  strong  men,  full  of  faith  and 
energy — with  them  labor  was  no  task,  duty  no  load; 
therefore,  they  harnessed  themselves  for  the  battle,  and 
went  forth  depending  upon  the  Lord  from  Heaven  for 
final  success.  They  well  understood  that  Scripture, 
"In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  evening 
withhold  not  thy  hand,  for  thou  knowest  not  which 
shall  prosper,  either  this  or  that;"  they  took  courage 
from  the  promises  of  God,  and  worked  on  in  hope. 
From  the  records  in  my  possession  there  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  many  additions  to  the  church 
by  persons  either  through  profession  of  faith  or  certi- 
ficate, yet  I  find  everything  as  peaceable  and  calm 
as  under  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  case  we 
could  reasonably  expect,  if,  during  these  three  years,  as 


t  84  ] 

above  referred  to,  there  was  no  increase  of  membership, 
at  least,  there  was  no  falling  off  of  members,  and  no 
waning  of  spirituality  among  them,  and  herein  is  a 
peculiarity  in  God's  people  evidenced  under  afflictions 
and  distresses  their  faith  and  confidence  become  strong- 
est; it  appears  to  be  the  time  when  the  people  of  the 
Most  High  are  aroused  up  to  a  closer  examination  of 
themselves ;  it  is  then  that  every  grace  in  the  soul  is 
fully  drawn  out,  and  from  amid  the  clouds  of  distress 
and  tribulations  they  look  to  God  "  as  their  only  help 
in  every  time  of  need,"  and  I  do  not  venture  too  much 
when  I  say  it  appears  to  be  an  ordeal  through  which 
the  Most  High  brings  his  people ;  at  any  rate,  such  is 
the  view  that  His  word  holds  out ;  if  any  doubt,  they 
have  but  to  turn  to  that  highly  interesting  passage  to 
be  found  in  Revelations,  chapter  7,  14th  verse,  where  it 
is  said  to  John,  "  These  are  they  which  came  out  of 
great  tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made 
them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb."     Impressed  no 
doubt  with  the  truth  of  this  assertion,   consequently 
resting   upon  it  as   the   Lord's   way  in   dealing   with 
his   children,  and   following   as    near   as   possible   the 
example  of  their  blessed  Saviour  the  Lord  Jesus,  these 
brethren,  in  the  midst  of  every  discouragement,  rose 
superior  to  them  all,  and  held  together,  awaiting  the 
Master's  own  time  for  some  favorable  change  in  their 
peculiar  and  trying  case,  of  three  years'  "  patient  con- 
tinuance in  well  doing."     About  this  time,  1827,  the 
Rev.  Charles  Gardner,  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  de- 
nomination, in  deacon  orders,  came  into  Philadelphia, 
and,  being  a  man  of  a  large  heart  and  extensive  liber- 
ality in  his  Christian  principles,  was  solicited  to  preach 
for  the   congregation,  and  such  was   the   effect  upon 
the   people,   and    their   appreciation    of   his    manner 


[  85  ] 

and  mode  of  applying  ^and  enforcing  the  doctrines 
of  grace,  that  in  Oct.,  1827,  the  congregation  applied 
to  Presbytery,  then  sitting  at  Bridgetown,  for  leave 
to  employ  Mr.  Gardner  as  a  stated  supply  until  the 
spring  meeting  of  Presbytery,  whereupon  Presbytery 
authorized  Drs.  Janeway  and  Ely  as  a  committee  to 
examine  Mr.  Gardner  as  to  his  qualifications  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  his  sacred  office.  This  was  at- 
tended to,  and  he  was  authorized  to  supply  the  pulpit 
until  further  notice.  Mr.  Gardner  then  entered  upon 
the  duty,  and  preached  his  first  sermon  in  that  capacity 
on  Sabbath,  Dec.  1st,  1827.  Mr.  Gardner  continued 
to  preach  until  the  spring.  At  this  Presbytery,  the 
church  made  application  for  the  services  of  Mr.  Gard- 
ner until  the  next  meeting  of  Presbytery,  which  was 
granted.  Qn  Nov.  10,  1829,  Presbytery  being  in 
session,  proceeded  to  examine  Mr.  Gardner  with  a  view 
to  his  licensure ;  but  before  the  examination  was  ended 
they  referred  his  case  to  a  committee,  appointed  when 
the  Presbytery  adjourned.  On  April  21,  1830,  Pres- 
bytery being  in  session,  the  Committee  to  whom  was 
referred  the  final  examination  of  Mr.  Gardner  reported 
to  Presbytery  that  Mr.  Gardner  requested  to  be 
dismissed  from  under  their  care,  which  report  was 
accepted.  Here  was  another  terrible  blow  for  the 
church,  and  one  calculated  to  prostrate,  the  energy  and 
hope  of  the  people,  building  their  future  prospects 
under  God  upon  Mr.  Gardner,  believing  that  a  benefi- 
cent Providence  had  so  ordered  it  that  he  should  visit 
and  labor  among  them,  and  being  also  delighted  with 
his  preaching,  for  he  was  certainly  no  mean  expounder 
of  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  all  of  these  considerations 
were  calculated  to  discourage  and  dishearten.  Of 
course,  there  was  no  other  alternative  but  Christian-like 
to  yield  submissively  to  this  stroke  and  accept  of  it  as 


[  86  ] 

being  of  the  Lord,  and  whatever  he  did  was  right, 
marvellous  as  it  might  appear;  of  one  thing  they 
were  certain,  that  was,  inasmuch  as  there  was  no  mis- 
understanding between  Mr.  Gardner  and  them,  they 
considered  that  his  motive  was  pure  for  making  the 
request  of  Presbytery,  and  his  reasons,  not  based  upon 
any  disposition  to  injure  the  church,  from  all  we  could 
understand,  it  was  simply  some  points  of  doctrine  to 
which,  for  the  present,  not  fully  understanding  so  that 
he  could  conscientiously  subscribe  to  them,  he  required 
time  for  reflection  and  decision;  this  was'  worthy  of 
him,  and  Presbytery  so  considered  it. 


MR.  CLARKSON'S  DEATH. 

There  are  times  in  the  history  of  a  church,  as  there  are 
in  the  life  of  individuals,  when  afflictions  and  discourage- 
ments enter  into  all  their  arrangements,  prostrating  their 
energies,  and  often  filling  the  soul  with  anguish  and 
despair.  True,  it  sometimes  happens  that  they  are  as 
dark  clouds  that  flit  across  the  Christian's  sky,  and  hide 
for  a  time  the  brightness  of  his  sun.  This  is  so  com- 
mon in  every  relation  of  life,  whether  as  men  or  as  com- 
munities, that  I  need  say  no  more  upon  it,  for  observa- 
tion, if  not  experience,  must  concede  its  truthfulness. 
This  was  particularly  the  case  with  the  church  at  this 
time.  It  was  not  quite  three  months  from  the  time  of 
Mr.  Gardner's  withdrawal  from  the  church,  when  the 
death  of  Mr.  Clarkson  was  announced.  On  July  2d, 
1830,  he  closed  his  eyes  in  death,  aged  65  years.  It  is 
true  the  people  knew  that  from  his  failing  health  he 
could  not  long  survive,  but  expecting,  as  they  did,  that  he 
would  shortly  be  called  away  from  earth,  yet  they  were 


[  87  ] 

not  prepared  to  hear  so  soon  that  their  elder,  their  vene- 
rated father  in  Israel,  would  be  so  suddenly  called.  Of 
Mr.  Clarkson  much  might  be  said,  but  we  have  spoken 
of  him  in  another  place  ;  let  it  suffice  me  here  to  remark, 
the  life  that  Mr.  Clarkson  lived  he  lived  by  faith  in  the 
Son  of  God,  so  that  when  he  fell  asleep,  it  was  in  Jesus. 
In  September,  1830,  Presbytery  again  granted  sup- 
plies for  the  church,  and  during  this  period  there  was 
some  increase.  The  number  of  communicants  usually 
in  attendance  upon  the  communion,  numbered  about 
forty  persons ;  a  reduced  number,  certainly,  to  what  was 
once  the  communicants  of  the  church,  when  things  wore 
a  brighter  aspect,  that  is,  before  the  division  took  place. 
However,  they  did  not  disregard  "  the  day  of  small 
things ;"  they  thanked  God  for  present  blessings,  small 
though  they  might  be — took  courage  therefrom,  and 
still  looked  to  God  and  labored  on.  On  July  10th, 
1831,  notice  was  given  that  the  church  was  in  need  of 
another  elder,  to  assist  in  the  spiritual  wants  of  the 
church.  The  old  elders  were  fast  failing,  and  being  en- 
feebled through  excessive  labors,  and  younger  men  were 
now  required.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Thomas  Black,  a  man 
of  piety  and  strict  integrity,  with  business  qualifications 
such  as  the  house  of  the  Lord  required,  was  the  choice  of 
the  people  as  a  candidate;  whereupon,  on  July  31. 1831, 
Mr.  Black  was  set  apart,  and  ordained  by  the  Rev. 
George  Potts,  as  an  elder  of  the  church.  About  this 
time,  also,  the  church  made  another  application  to  Mr. 
Samuel  Cornish,  at  New  York,  with  a  view  of  obtain- 
ing his  service  to  supply  them  with  the  Gospel.  To 
this  appeal  Mr.  Cornish  responded,  and  on  December 
13,  1831,  Mr.  Cornish  commenced  his  labors  among  the 
people,  which  he  continued  to  do  with  considerable  suc- 
cess until  the  month  of  June,  1832,  when,  from  circum- 


[88] 

stances  of  an  interesting  and  important  nature  to  him, 
and  his  calling  to  another  field  of  labor,  he  resigned  his 
care  of  the  church. 

On  July  3,  1832,  Dr.  Green  being  appointed  by  Pres- 
bytery to  moderate  the  session  of  the  church,  and  ad- 
minister the  communion  of  the  Lord's  supper,  &c.,  to 
the  people,  entered  upon  the  duties. 

On  Feb.  22,  1833,  Mr.  John  Burch  being  previously 
offered  and  accepted  by  a  majority  of  the  people,  Dr. 
Green  proceeded  and  ordained  him  a  ruling  elder  to 
serve  the  church.  From  the  time  Dr.  Green  took  the 
care  of  the  church,  as  above  stated,  to  the  time  of  his 
resigning,  on  April  30,  1835,  over  two  years,  there  was 
considerable  increase,  and  much  regret  was  expressed 
by  the  congregation  on  account  of  his  withdrawal.  I 
will  here  insert,  without  the  least  fear  of  any  one  soul 
in  the  congregation  demurring  against  the  assertion, 
that  the  church  will  ever  cherish  towards  the  memory 
of  Dr.  Green,  the  deepest  regard  and  reverence — 
"  though  dead"  yet  to  them  "  he  liveth." 

On  July  29,  1835,  Mr.  Nathan  Harned  moderated  the 
session  and  became  the  supply  to  the  church,  and  con- 
tinued faithfully  in  discharging  the  duties  imposed  upon 
him  by  Presbytery  until  May  6,  1836,  at  which  time 
the  congregation  met  and  determined  to  elect  a  pastor, 
according  to  notice  previously  given.  Whereupon,  the 
Rev.  Charles  W.  Gardner,  having  returned  to  Philadel- 
phia and  become  a  member  of  the  Philadelphia  Presby- 
tery, was  unanimously  chosen,  and  the  elders  and  trus- 
tees were  authorized  to  fill  up  and  prosecute  a  call  before 
Presbytery.  Mr.  Thomas  Black  was  appointed  to  pre- 
sent the  call.  The  call  was  presented  to  Presbytery  and 
put  into  the  hands  of  Mr.-  Gardner,  and  accepted  by 
him.  July  5,  1836,  was  set  apart  as  the  day  to  install 


[  89  ] 

Mr.  Gardner.  Dr.  Green,  was  appointed  to  preside; 
Rev.  Mr.  McCalla  to  preach  the  sermon ;  Dr.  Green  to 
put  the  requisite  questions  to  the  pastor  elect  and  the 
people ;  and  Mr.  Ely  the  the  charge  to  pastor  and  people. 
The  text  chosen  by  Mr.  McCalla  was  2  Timothy,  chap, 
i.  13  v.:  "Hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words  which 
thou  hast  heard  of  me."  I  need  not  say  much  concern- 
ing this  highly  interesting  occasion;  it  may  suffice  me 
merely  to  remark  that  the  interest  seen  and  felt  on  that 
occasion  may  be  gathered  from  the  dense  mass  of  people 
that  filled  the  house  that  day.  It  seemed  as  if  the  great 
Head  of  the  Church  opened  upon  them  a  day-spring 
from  above ;  rays  of  light  broke  through  the  gloom  of 
years,  and  the  clouds  of  discouragement,  that  hung  so 
heavily  over  them  and  casting  their  dark  shadows  across 
their  pathway  for  the  three  years  that  they  labored  with- 
out hope  of  a  settled  pastor,  were  dispelled  on  that  day, 
and  light,  bright,  glorious  light,  came  flooding  in  on  that 
faithful  band  of  men  and  women,  who  for  years  com- 
bated so  nobly  against  such  fearful  odds  as  I  have  fre- 
quently described  in  this  narrative.  The  installation 
and  its  stirring  emotions  of  the  day,  will  long  be  remem- 
bered by  the  church. 

From  this  time,  then,  Mr.  Gardener  must  be  regarded 
as  the  settled  pastor  of  the  church.  Under  his  ministry 
the  addition  of  members  was  numerous,  and  the  increase 
of  the  congregation  very  large:  insomuch  that  the  build- 
ing could  scarcely  accommodate  the  number  of  persons 
that  attended  on  his  stated  ministry.  Of  the  elders 
officiating  at  his  installation  were  Peter  McNeal,  Thos. 
Black,  and  John  Burch.  These  brethren  labored  with 
Mr.  Gardner  during  his  pastoral  charge,  excepting  to 
some  extent  in  the  case  of  Mr.  McNeal,  who  departed 


[  90  ] 

this  life  on  the  10th  January,  1841,  at  the  ripe  age  of 
75  years,  after  serving  his  Lord  and  Master,  as  an  elder 
in  the  church,  for  the  space  of  thirty  years.  He  was  a 
man  full  of  zeal  for  the  glory  of  the  Lord's  house,  and 
though  bending  under  the  weight  of  years,  yet  his  ardor 
was  not  cooled,  nor  his  interest  in  the  church  in  the 
least  abated.  As  he  lived,  so  he  died :  with  heaven  in 
his  view,  the  promises  of  his  God  to  lean  upon,  and  the 
grace  of  Christ  to  sustain,  cheer,  and  lighten  up  his 
pathway  as  he  "walked  through  the  dark  valley  and 
shadow  of  death."  The  church  mourned  his  loss  sin- 
cerely, for  they  deeply  felt  "  that  a  great  man  had  fallen 
in  Israel,"  when  death  laid  its  iron  arm  upon  him,  ancl 
laid  him  in  the  dust.  He  is  gone,  but  what  is  loss  to 
the  church  is  gain  to  him.  We  believe,  from  the  life  he 
lived,  the  death  he  died,  that  he  has  entered  into  that 
rest  that  remains  for  the  people  of  God.  Such  was  the 
increase  of  members  that  joined  the  church,  arid  the 
press  of  business  upon  the  pastor  and  elders,  that  it  was 
found  necessary,  about  this  time,  to  seek  out  a  man  upon 
whom  some  of  the  growing  wants  of  the  church  might 
be  apportioned.  Such  a  man  was  found  in  the  person 
of  Mr.  Jessie  Turner,  then  a  young  man  of  deep  piety, 
sound  judgment,  and  possessed  of  a  large  share  of  dis- 
crimination, qualities  necessary  to  constitute  an  efficient 
elder.  Such  being  the  views  entertained  of  Mr.  Turner, 
he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  a  ruling  elder,  and 
ordained  by  Mr.  Charles  Gardner,  on  the  19th  day  of 
January,  1840.  At  the  time  that  Mr.  Gardner  became 
the  pastor  of  the  church,  there  were  about  130  members. 
It  will  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  membership  was 
reduced  to  the  stated  number  on  account  of  the  division 
that  took  place,  and  some  by  removals  to  other  locations, 
and  a  few  by  death,  so  that  my  readers  need  not  be  sur- 


[  91  ] 

prised  at  the  meagre  number  presented.  However  this 
might  be,  Mr.  Gardner  did  not  labor  very  long  before  a 
happy  and  charming  change  for  the  better  became  evi- 
dent. Many  that  had  wandered  away  from  the  fold 
returned,  and  not  a  few  from  the  gay  world  of  fashion 
and  pride  earnestly  sought  the  Lord,  and  found  peace  in 
believing  on  Jesus,  and  were  received  into  the  church. 
Many  were  the  precious  seasons  of  grace  enjoyed  by 
the  church,  under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Gardner,  It  was 
a  soul  stirring  time,  in  these  days — a  time  of  refreshing 
from  the  Lord.  The  old  and  the  young  "came  inquir- 
ing for  him  of  whom  Moses  and  the  prophets  did  write." 
It  was  a  common  sight,  on  communion  seasons,  to  behold 
a  goodly  number  sitting  around  the  table  of  the  Lord, 
for  the  first  time,  who,  a  few  weeks  before,  were  indulg- 
ing themselves  in  the  frivolous  and  foolish  enjoyments 
of  the  world,  without  a  thought,  scarcely,  of  those  serious 
and  important  considerations  of  death,  judgment,  and 
eternity.  Now  "  they  were  clothed  in  their  right  mind." 
Having  professed  faith  in  Christ,  "they  conferred  not 
with  flesh  and  blood,  but  took  up  their  cross  and  followed 
the  Saviour." 

Such  was  the  continued  increase  of  the  congregation 
and  its  growing  wants,  particularly  in  view  of  the  large 
number  of  young  persons  connecting  themselves  with 
the  church,  and  also  the  very  encouraging  prospects  of 
the  Sabbath-school  attached  to  the  congregation,  that 
it  was  thought  both  prudent  and  necessary  to  obtain  the 
service  of  another  elder,  possessing  qualifications  to 
engage  in  the  evident  wants  of  the  church,  among  the 
young  as  well  as  the  old.  To  this  end,  Mr.  Jacob  C. 
White  seemed  eminently  qualified ;  his  literary  attain- 
ments, his  Christian  and  consistent  deportment,  his 
remarkable  zeal  and  piety,  pointed  to  him  as  a  man  for 


[  92] 

the  office  of  an  elder,  and  the  finger  of  providence  mani- 
festly singled  him  out,  and  so  the  people  considered  it ; 
consequently  the  session  met,  after  obtaining  the  consent 
of  Mr.  White,  and  he  was  examined,  and,  giving  satis- 
faction of  his  qualifications,  was  accepted  by  the  congre- 
gation, and  ordained  on  the  18th  October,  1842.  There 
were  now  four  elders  constituting  the  session;  these 
remain  until  this  day,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Jesse 
Turner,  who,  having  served  the  church  faithfully,  and 
beloved  by  the  whole  church,  and  by  all  who  knew  him, 
and  above  all  we  believe  by  his  God,  calmly,  peacefully, 
and  full  of  faith  in  God,  leaning  on  his  Redeemer,  closed 
his  eyes  in  death  on  the  25th  of  April,  1853. 

Mr.  Gardner  remained  pastor  of  the  church  for  near 
twelve  years,  when  he  notified  the  congregation  that,  on 
the  coming  session  of  the  Presbytery,  he  should  ask  a 
dissolution  from  the  pastoral  relation  to  the  church, 
whereupon,  on  the  14th  day  of  February,  1848,  the 
application  being  made  to  Presbytery,  and  granted,  the 
congregation  consented  to  the  dissolution,  by  passing 
the  following  resolutions : — 

Resolved,  That,  although  we  entertain  an  affectionate 
regard  for  our  pastor,  yet  as  it  is  his  desire  to  be  released 
from  the  connection  which  has  for  several  years  so  hap- 
pily subsisted  between  him  and  us,  we  consent  to  his 
request. 

Resolved^  That  it  is  our  sincere  prayer  that  the  bless- 
ings of  God  may  accompany  him  through  life,  and 
render  him  both  useful  and  happy. 

Thus  terminated  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Gardner  over 
the  church,  a  ministry,  to  a  considerable  extent,  of  use- 
fulness and  improvement.  Many  are  now  members  of 
the  church  who  are  seals  of  his  ministry,  and  some  bright 


[  93  ] 

and  shining  lights  are  now  members  of  it  who  have  been 
brought  from  darkness  to  light,  and  who  will  ever  regard 
Mr.  Gardner  with  affection.  In  reviewing  the  labors  of 
Mr.  Gardner,  we  are  strongly  reminded  of  the  interest- 
ing reviving  times  of  Mr.  Gloucester,  for  during  the 
pastoral  oversight  of  Mr.  Gardner  the  congregation  pre- 
sented a  cheering  and  highly  gratifying  appearance. 
The  church  was  not  only  numerously  attended,  so  that 
there  was  not  room  to  contain  the  congregation,  but  the 
press  of  young  people  from  the  respectable  and  intellec- 
tual portion  of  the  community,  was  encouraging.  These 
finally  became  so  deeply  interested  in  his  exposition  of 
the  doctrines  of  Christ,  that  scores  of  them  gave  their 
hearts  to  God  and  connected  themselves  with  the 
church.  I  assume  that  no  church  of  color  in  Philadel- 
phia, and  I  omit  not  one,  could  compare  with  this  church 
at  this  time  (1843),  for  the  number  of  young  intellectual 
persons  that  were  members  of  it.  The  frequent  revivals 
that  took  place  in  1842  were  soul-cheering  and  reviving, 
showers  of  refreshing  from  on  high  came  pouring  down 
during  the  major  part  of  this  year.  I  will  give  a  few  of 
the  number  received  into  full  communion  on  an  occasion 
or  two:  Jan.  5,  1842,  8  received;  Jan.  17,  14  received; 
Feb.  15,  12  received;  Feb.  23,  20  received;  April  3,  11 
received;  April  6,  3  received;  May  11,  27  received;  and 
so  during  nearly  the  whole  of  this  year,  it  was  the  day 
of  God's  power  to  make  willing  the  hearts  of  the  young. 
Here  in  four  months  ninety-five  young  interesting  per- 
sons were  brought  by  the  power  of  the  Word  of  Christ. 
As  a  matter  of  course,  we  are  not  to  suppose  that  during 
these  twelve  years  there  were  no  trials  to  endure  by  Mr. 
Gardner  and  the  elders;  to  presume  it,  would  argue 
but  a  very  shallow  insight  into  human  affairs,  and  I  am 
yet  to  learn  from  the  present  constitution  of  things  by 


which  we  are  surrounded,  if  there  can  be  any  situation 
in  life  clear  of  embarrassments,  troubles  and  cares.  The 
church  is  no  exception,  and  though  we  should  expect 
peace,  prosperity,  love,  and  harmony  to  prevail,  consider- 
ing the  use,  the  aim,  and  the  end  of  it,  observation,  if 
not  experience,  shows  that  to  some  extent,  at  least,  these 
desirable  ends  are  scarcely  attained.  As  long  as  human 
nature  remains  clothed  with  mortality,  so  long  will  im- 
perfections exist.  We  cannot  close  our  eyes  to  the  fact 
that  evils  exist  in  the  human  heart.  They  are  latent 
for  a  time,  snugly  hid  away,  but  ready  to  leap  forth  when 
an  occasion  offers.  How  often  are  we  surprised  at  the 
sudden  springs  of  these  latent  evils  ourselves.  They 
should  be  stormed  and  rooted  out  from  the  citadel  by  a 
Divine  power;  like  rank  weeds  springing  up  in  a  gar- 
den, however  well  attended,  they  require  to  be  pulled 
up  and  cast  out  by  the  careful  husbandman.  So  must 
the  pride,  passion  and  lusts  of  the  professor  be  care- 
fully watched,  and  every  root  of  bitterness  cast  out  as 
soon  as  it  appears.  Like  David,  we  should  ever  pray, 
"  Search  me,  and  try  me,  and  see  if  there  be  any  evil 
way  in  me." 

It  will  form  no  part  of  my  duty  to  venture  any  remarks 
upon  the  motive  or  reason  why  Mr.  Gardner  resigned 
the  pastoral  charge  of  the  church.  According  to  the 
resolutions  passed,  it  can  be  discerned  that  the  separa- 
tion was  a  friendly  one,  and  such  should  always  be  the 
case  between  a  retiring  pastor  and  the  people.  It  often 
happens  that  chief  friends  are  called  to  part,  not  in  bit- 
terness but  in  love.  Many  circumstances  may  arise  to 
make  it  necessary,  without  altering  in  the  least  the  in- 
terest and  affection  existing.  Such,  1  believe,  was  the 
case  in  this  instance.  Mr.  Gardner  still  lives,  though 
well  advanced  in  years,  gind  very  recently  visited  the 


[  95  ] 

city  and  preached  to  the.  people,  by  whom  he  was  re- 
ceived most  cordially.  He  still  retains,  apparently,  the 
vigor  of  a  strong  man,  and  although  in  the  7f3d  year  of 
his  age,  his  voice  is  still  clear  and  strong.  In  intellect 
and  energy  there  is  no  marked  difference  to  what  it  was 
years  long  past. 

But  to  proceed  with  this  narrative,  I  must  remark, 
that  after  the  pulpit  was  declared  vacant,  the  church 
was  once  more  thrown  under  the  fostering  care  of  Pres- 
bytery, and  they  supplied  the  pulpit,  as  they  had  ever 
done  when  the  wants  of  the  church  required  it.  The 
church  remained  without  a  pastor  for  about  seven  years, 
during  which  time  Rev.  Griffith  Owen,  Dr.  Cuyler,  and 
t)r.  Joseph  H.  Jones,  not  only  moderated  the  session, 
but  took  a  deep  interest  in  all  the  affairs  of  the  church, 
administering  the  communion  or  the  Lord's  supper,  bap- 
tizing the  children,  advising  and  counselling  with  the 
elders  as  to  every  measure  whereby  the  church  could  be 
benefited.  During  this  period  of  the  church  history, 
there  was  considerable  exertion  made  to  obtain  the  ser- 
vice of  a  pastor,  so  as  to  relieve  the  Presbytery  and  the 
gentlemen  appointed  by  them  to  moderate  the  session, 
from  so  burdensome  a  service  ;  at  least,  so  thought  the  ses- 
sion, for  I  must  inform  the  reader  that  each  of  these  breth- 
ren had  their  own  congregations  to  attend,  and  their 
congregations  were  very  large,  yet  we  cannot  advance  a 
single  proof  or  any  idea  whatever,  that  they  were  not 
perfectly  willing  to  do  all  in  their  power  for  the  interest 
of  this  branch  of  Christ's  church.  It  was  during  this 
time  that  various  and  frequent  calls  were  made  to  pas- 
tors to  take  the  pastoral  charge,  but  without  success. 
This,  no  doubt,  arose  from  the  fact  that  there  are  few 
Presbyterian  colored  ministers,  and  these  were  all  set- 
tled over  their  several  congregations  or  churches,  and 


[  96  ] 

it  must  be  perceived  that  the  inducements  to  break  these 
relations  must  be  sufficiently  strong ;  and  so  it  appeared 
in  the  cases  upon  which  we  are  now  treating.  The  rin- 
ger of  God  must  clearly  point  the  course  a  pastor  should 
pursue  in  such  a  case.  To  leave  a  charge  on  slight 
grounds,  or  simply  that  a  call  is  made  for  services  de- 
sired by  another  congregation,  forms  no  part  of  a  pas- 
tor's consideration.  There  may  be  instances  where  it 
may  be  duty  to  break  these  relations,  as  when  a  people, 
from  some  cause,  or  source,  or  rumor,  loses  confidence 
in  a  pastor,  or  when  from  some  motive  or  circumstance 
he  is  no  longer  useful  among  them,  or  even  when  his 
ministry  is  not  blest  or  of  spiritual  interest,  it  may  be 
his  Christian  duty  and  obligation  to  resign  his  charge, 
that  an  opportunity  may  be  afforded  some  other  to  take 
the  pastoral  oversight,  whose  labors  may  be  more  suc- 
cessful. But  in  all  such  cases,  I  repeat,  God's  direction 
must  be  sought,  and  not  a  step  taken  until  it  shall  ap- 
pear clear  as  a  sunbeam  that  such  are  the  leadings  of  Pro- 
vidence. Such,  perhaps,  may  be  the  reasons  we  can 
best  produce  why  these  calls  were  not  accepted,  and 
why  the  church  remained  so  long  without  a  pastor. 

It  is  not  to  be  presumed,  in  a  city  like  Philadelphia, 
a  city  of  churches,  and  where  there  are  so  many  enter- 
prises, influences,  and  engagements  of  every  color  and 
description,  that  a  church  without  a  regularly  installed 
minister,  can  hope  to  retain  its  membership.  We  need 
not  be  surprised  at  this  statement,  when  we  reflect 
that  we  are  in  an  age  of  the  world  when  proselyting 
from  one  denomination  to  another  has  become  the  fash- 
ion of  the  day,  and  particularly  among  some  sectarians. 
Wherever  this  is  seen  and  done,  it  is  censurable  and 
condemnable,  if  not  abject,  to  say  the  least  of  it.  On 


[  97  ] 

the  other  hand,  in  many  instances,  the  glitter  and  gay- 
ety  of  life,  with  its  thousand  attractions,  prove  too 
strong  a  current  for  many  to  resist.  Especially  is  this 
so  with  the  young,  whose  principles  of  Christianity  have 
not  been  firmly  fixed  on  Christ,  as  the  rock  from  which 
they  see  things.  There  are  other  considerations  that 
may  be  offered  why  a  congregation  may  be  reduced 
where  there  is  no  settled  pastor.  These  that  I  have 
stated  may  be  sufficient  for  the  present,  leaving  the 
reader  to  reflect  upon  many  others  that  may  be  adduced 
for  this  dwindling  away  of  the  church  of  which  I  am 
now  writing,  as  well  as  if  I  had  been  careful  to  mention 
more,  or  describe  instances  in  particular.  However 
sadly  the  church  was  reduced  in  numbers,  there  was  one 
singular  feature  always  existing  in  it — there  were  those 
of  its  members  who  were  so  devotedly  attached  to  their 
Zion,  that  no  possible  discouragement  could  shake  their 
love  for  it.  Minister  or  no  minister,  their  affection 
for  their  church  was  deep  and  abiding,  and  though 
at  times  it  appeared  that  to  obtain  a  pastor  seemed  as 
hopeless  and  disheartening  as  can  well  be  conceived,  yet 
this  small  band  of  men  and  women  remained  like  faith- 
ful soldiers  at  their  post,  and  when  through  every  effort 
of  designing  individuals,  offers  and  inducements  were 
held  out,  and  every  subterfuge  resorted  to  in  order  to 
break  up  and  destroy  this  branch  of  the  church,  there 
were  those  in  it  who,  like  the  disciples  of  old,  were  de- 
termined, though  all  forsook  this  mother  church,  that 
they  would  not  forsake  her;  and  they  did  not,  as  the 
sequel  of  this  history  will  show.  It  is  to  be  regretted 
that  there  was  such  a  waning  of  membership  during  this 
period,  still  the  Master  was  not  unmindful  of  his  church. 
Now  and  then  an  application  would  be  made  by  some 
to  become  members,  and  thus  at  times  the  Lord  would 
7 


L  98  ] 

revive  the  spirits  of  his  people,  and  give  theih  a  refresh- 
ing shower  from  on  high. 

In  the  year  1854  the  congregation,  in  view  of  the 
antiquated  appearance  of  the  church,  and  the  necessity 
of  remodelling  it,  concluded  to  enter  into  some  measures 
for  accomplishing  so  desirable  an  end.  It  may  not  be 
known  to  the  general  reader  of  these  pages  why  it  was 
that  at  this  particular,  and  to  human  probability,  dis- 
couraging period  that  the  congregation  should  attempt 
the  remodelling  of  the  building.  Philadelphia,  it  is 
well  known,  by  all  who  are  acquainted  with  the  fact, 
contains  a  colored  population  of  intelligence  and  wealth 
as  can  be  found  in  any  city  in  the  Union,  and  possessed 
of  considerable  taste. 

The  colored  churches  of  this  city  are  confirmatory  of 
this  fact ;  in  their  interior  as  on  the  exterior  they  present 
an  appearance  of  neatness  and  good  taste.  Those  that 
have  recently  been  erected  have  been  built  in  keeping 
with  the  latest  architectural  style  of  whatever  order. 
As  a  general  thing,  all  old  churches  have  been  re- 
modelled and  made  to  present  a  respectable  appearance. 
I  do  not  by  any  means  wish  to  convey  the  idea  that 
they  have  been  extravagantly  remodelled;  simplicity 
and  neatness  alone  have  been  substituted  for  the  dull 
and  sombre  appearance  of  the  old  buildings.  To  these 
churches  thus  remodelled  people  preferred  to  worship, 
particularly  that  portion  of  the  community  which  should 
by  some  means  or  other  have  the  Gospel  preached  unto 
them.  Another  reason  why  the  people  as  a  general 
thing  were  anxious  to  alter  their  churches ;  and  this 
was  one  of  the  reasons  that  prompted  this  church  to 
remodel  their  house.  The  old  houses  were  not  well 
ventilated,  nor  lighted.  In  order  to  secure  all  these 
advantages,  so  necessary  to  health  as  to  comfort,  it  was 


[99  ] 

determined  at  least  to  make  some  necessary  alteration 
to  the  church.  Every  colored  church  in  the  city  pre- 
sented a  very  inviting  appearance,  becoming  their  means, 
however,  this  old  church  was  an  exception;  it  was  the 
same  old-fashioned  house  that  it  was  forty-six  years 
back,  only  as  a  matter  of  course  a  little  the  worse  for 
wear ;  to  change  the  appearance  of  things  a  little,  and 
make  this  temple  of  worship  more  desirable  and  plea- 
sant, prompted  the  people  at  least  to  make  the  attempt 
to  remodel  the  interior,  at  this  seeming  unfavorable 
time,  of  which  I  am  now  writing  as  above  referred  to; 
the  people,  with  a  determination  creditable  to  them, 
entered  with  a  proper  spirit  into  ways  and  means  to 
accomplish  their  desire,  under  the  lead  particularly  of 
Mr.  Jacob  C.  White,  Sen. ;  plans  were  proposed  and 
adopted,  and  the  operation  commenced,  and  which  they 
very  soon  accomplished  at  a  cost  of  $1452  43  cts. 

In  this  they  were  assisted  by  our  church  extension 
committee  to  the  amount  of  four  hundred  dollars.  In 
the  short  space  of  three  months  the  work  was  accom- 
plished, and  will  in  point  of  neatness  compare  very 
favorably  with  any  of  our  sister  churches ;  not  the  least 
interesting  part  of  the  effort  is  the  fact  that  when  the 
work  was  completed  it  was  paid  for,  so  that  the  church 
was  relieved  from  debt,  and  remains  so  until  the  present 
time.  I  must,  however,  say  that  there  was  not  only  a 
unity  of  action  by  the  majority  of  the  people  to  re- 
model the  interior  of  the  house,  but  a  willingness  to 
contribute  of  their  money  for  the  purpose,  yet  withal, 
to  Mr.  White  particularly  belongs  the  direction  and 
control  of  the  successful  effort.  Considering  then  the 
motive  that  influenced  the  congregation  to  remodel 
the  house,  they  cannot  be  charged  with  an  undue  pride. 
The  other  churches  were  commodious  and  attractive,  and 


[  ioo  ] 

showed  improvement ;  they  wore  an  aspect  so  pleasing 
that  it  proved  an  inducement  to  the  young  to  resort  to 
them.  This  house  alone  stood  as  it  does  now  on  the 
exterior,  like  an  antiquated  relic  of  gone  by  days,  re- 
membered as  a  place  where  amid  the  musty  memories 
of  the  past  it  is  remembered  however  venerated  it  may 
be  regarded,  yet  it  was  not  in  keeping  with  the  pro- 
gress of  the  times  when  progress  is  the  watchword,  in 
fact  "  the  lamp  now  that  bumeth"  and  shines  so  dis- 
tinctly athwart  our  pathway.  True,  the  old  church 
always  retained  a  hold  upon  the  respect  of  the  com- 
munity ;  its  character  for  order  and  consistency  unques- 
tioned, and  among  the  churches  none  are  regarded  as 
retaining  more  of  the  simplicity  of  Christian  require- 
ments in  their  externals  than  this  old  church,  for  there 
are  many  in  it  whose  regular  attendance  for  worship  to 
this  house  is  proverbial,  and  as  it  is  in  attendance,  so 
in  everything  else;  in  dress,  in  general  conduct,  in 
temperance,  in  worship,  in  conversation,  avoiding  all 
show  of  parade,  avoiding  all  of  those  trappings  and 
harness  lately  introduced  into  the  Church  of  Christ  in 
the  forms  of  bills  of  fare,  such  as  fairs,  mental  feasts, 
suppers,  or  teas  as  they  are  called,  and  those  destructive 
ones  under  the  significant  head  of  "  great  attraction ;" 
then  follow  theatrical  displays,  as  Sabbath  School  exhi- 
bitions— the  majority  of  pieces  spoken  taken  from  dra- 
matic writers,  not  from  God's  Word,  neither  Christian 
writers  nor  poets ;  these  are  too  tame  for  those  training 
in  these  schools  of  Christ.  The  very  dress  in  which  many 
appear  is  the  drapery  of  the  stage,  the  glitter  and 
show  of  the  theatre — by  no  means  the  simple,  neat, 
becoming  one  of  the  Christian,  which,  in  order  to  be 
consistent  and  sincere  in  profession,  should  be  observed. 
Against  all  these  outrages  this  old  church  is  set,  from 


them  they  have  "  washed  their  hands  in  innocency," 
against  them  all  it  "  lifts  up  its  voice ;"  within  its  holy 
precincts  they  cannot  enter.  I  have  given  a  reason  why 
the  interior  of  the  church  was  remodelled,  and  the  like 
reason  may  be  presumed  why  before  very  long  some 
alteration  should  be  made  to  the  outside  appearance  of 
the  building,  for  it  presents  anything  else  than  an  in- 
viting one.  We  are  in  hope  that  not  many  months 
more  and  the  appearance  of  the  entire  superstructure 
will  be  changed,  but  not  by  any  of  the  trappings  above 
alluded  to ;  only  from  Christian  principles  will  it  be  at- 
tempted. The  remodelling  of  the  inside  being  com- 
pleted the  place  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God  on 
the  seventh  of  May,  1854.  Rev.  R.  Happerset  preached 
the  opening  sermon  in  the  morning.  Dr.  Joseph  H. 
Jones  preached  in  the  afternoon.  Both  were  listened 
to  by  large  congregations. 

The  next  course  for  the  further  interest  of  the 
Church,  and,  we  hope,  for  the  glorious  extension  of  our 
Redeemer's  kingdom,  was  to  call  a  minister  to  take  the 
pastoral  oversight  of  the  church ;  consequently,  at  a 
meeting  of  the  session,  held  March  the  20th,  1855,  Dr. 
Joseph  H.  Jones,  Moderator,  it  was  agreed  that  a  con- 
gregational meeting  should  be  held  on  Friday  evening, 
the  23d  inst.,  for  the  call  of  a  pastor.  Said  meeting 
was  held,  when  the  Rev.  Wm.  T.  Catto  was  nominated 
and  elected;  the  call  was  made  out  and  presented  to 
Presbytery,  of  which  the  pastor  elect  was  a  member; 
the  call  being  accepted,  Presbytery  appointed  the  22d 
April  as  the  time  of  installation,  Dr.  Lewis  Cheeseman 
to  preach  the  sermon,  Dr.  Joseph  H.  Jones  to  deliver 
the  charge  to  the  people,  Dr.  Henry  Steele  Clark  the 
charge  to  the  pastor,  all  of  which  was  done.  The 


[  102  ] 

sermon  on  the  occasion  was  from  Heb.  v.  1,  2  verses, 
and  will  never  be  forgotten  by  the  writer  of  this 
history,  neither  by  the  dense  mass  of  human  beings 
who  thronged  the  church  to  its  utmost  capacity  upon 
that  memorable  occasion.  If  the  hearty  responses  and 
warm  greetings  of  the  multitude,  if  the  cordial  shake 
of  the  hand  as  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  was  given, 
if  the  cheerful  smiles  of  some  and  the  deep  emotions 
of  others  are  any  proofs  of  cordial  welcome,  and  should 
act  as  reasons  why  the  relation  of  pastor  and  people 
should  be  perpetuated,  then  the  strongest  reasons  exist 
that  the  pastor  and  his  flock  will  dwell  together  as 
brethren  in  Christ,  and  in  the  unity  of  the  spirit  and 
bond  of  faith,  which  may  God  grant. 

It  is  not  for  me  now  to  say  what  are  the  future 
prospects  of  the  church ;  this  must  be  left  for  the  future 
historian  to  record  when  I  too  shall  be  called  hence  to 
sleep  the  sleep  of  death.  It  remains  for  me  to  record 
that  the  church  at  present  comprises  a  membership  of 
one  hundred  and  eighty-two  persons  who  are  communi- 
cant members;  these,  together  with  others  who  are 
pew-holders  and  stated  worshippers,  present,  at  pre- 
sent, a  very  interesting  congregation;  there  are  three 
ruling  elders,  Mr.  Thomas  Black,  John  Birch,  and 
Jacob  C.  White.  Thirteen  trustees  govern  the  finances 
of  the  church,  and  they  so  manage  the  affairs  of  the 
church  through  the  tact  of  their  foreman,  Mr.  James 
Clay,  that  it  can  be  said  they  "  owe  no  man  anything." 
Connected  with  the  church  is  a  Sabbath-school,  num- 
bering about  forty  scholars,  Mr.  J.  C.  White  being  the 
superintendent,  assisted  by  Mrs.  Sarah  Hawkins.  From 
this  school,  established  by  Mr.  Gloucester,  have  risen 
up  and  gone  'forth,  bearing  precious  seed,  several 
ministers  of  the  Gospel ;  Mr.  Gloucester's  four  sons,  all 


[  103  ] 

of  whom  were  ministers,  were  children  of  this  school. 
Jeremiah,  Stephen,  and  John  have  each  finished  their 
work,  and  ere  this  I  hope  are  with  their  beloved  and 
honored  father  resting  in  peace ;  James,  the  youngest, 
is  still  alive  and  living  in  New  York,  a  member  of  one 
of  the  New  School  Presbyteries  in  that  city.  Mr. 
Henry  Wilson  and  Jonathan  Gibbs,  both  pastors  of 
churches,  one  in  New  York  City,  the  other  in  Troy, 
State  of  N.  Y.,  were  both  children  of  this  school ;  and 
there  are  some  now  preaching  in  other  denominations 
who  were  raised  up  and  trained  here.  There  is  now  at  the 
Ashmun  Institute,  established  by  the  New  Castle  Pres- 
bytery, and  located  in  Oxford,  West  Chester  County, 
Mr.  Thomas  Amos,  a  young  man  taken  up  by  this 
church,  and  recommended  to  our  Presbytery,  who  was 
received  after  examination,  and  is  now  prosecuting  his 
studies  with  a  view  to  the  Gospel  ministry.  Surely, 
then,  the  old  church  is  not  without  its  interest  and  its 
history.  What  may  be  its  future  is  with  Him  alone 
who  sees  from  the  beginning  and  knows  the  ending ;  it 
is  but  for  the  church  to  labor  on  in  the  good  work  of 
the  Lord,  that  we  review  often  the  past  and  learn 
lessons  of  instruction  to  guide  into  the  future ;  and 
amid  all  to  look  to  Him  who  is  head  of  His  Church, 
and  to  Jesus,  the  author  of  faith,  our  Prophet,  Priest, 
and  King,  to  whom  be  glory  in  the  Church  forever. 

Amen. 


NOTE. — It  may  not  be  amiss  for  me  to  record,  in  connection  with 
this  history,  some  instances  of  pure  benevolence  shown  this  church. 
First,  at  the  time  when  a  claim  for  debt,  said  to  be  due  to  Mr.  John 
Gloucester,  the  founder,  was  laid  against  the  church,  and  the  sheriff 
was  about  to  execute  a  sale  of  the  property  to  p#y  said  claim,  Mr. 
Chauncy,  a  gentleman  of  large  benevolence,  gave  as  a  donation  $100 
to  settle  the  debt,  and  this  saved  the  property. 


[  104  ] 

In  1839,  Mr.  J.  Williams,  a  member  of  the  Sixth  Presbyterian 
Church,  Dr.  J.  H.  Jones,  pastor,  by  will  left  $500  to  the  church. 

The  Demosthenes  Society  (colored)  also  gave  a  donation  of  $60 
for  the  use  of  the  trustees. 

Subsequently,  1849,  Dr.  Ashbel  Green  left  by  will  $50  for  the 
church,  and  an  equal  sum  for  Rev.  C.  AY.  Gardner,  formerly  the 
pastor. 


APPENDIX. 


CONCEITING  that  a  synoptical  history  of  all  the  colored 
churches  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  would  be  of  some 
interest  to  the  reader,  I  have  undertaken  to  insert  in 
this  work  when  each  church  was  founded,  the  number 
of  members  at  present,  the  size  of  each  building,  also 
the  value  of  each,  and  a  short  account  of  any  matter 
that  may  be  of  interest. 

There  are  in  the  city  18  churches,  to  wit: — 

1.  A.  M.  E.  BETHEL  CHURCH. 

This  church  is  located  in  South  Sixth  Street,  east  side,  between 
Lombard  and  Pine.  It  was  founded  in  1816  as  an  African  M.  E. 
Church  by  Richard  Allen  ;  it  is  a  large  brick  edifice  substantially 
built,  plain,  but  neat;  it  is  62  feet  wide,  TO  feet  long,  with  a  base- 
ment story  divided  into  a  lecture  room,  class  rooms,  and  minister's 
study  with  a  library  attached.  The  church  and  lot  upon  which  it 
stands,  together  with  other  property  owned  by  the  corporation,  are 
at  the  lowest  possible  estimate,  valued  at  $60,000  ;  the  audience 
room  is  very  capacious,  and  for  neatness  is  equalled  but  by  few 
churches  in  the  city  ;  it  is  rated  to  seat  about  2500  persons.  The 
church  is  composed  of  1100  communicant  members.  It  has  a  Sabbath 
school  containing  350  children,  2  superintendents,  and  25  teachers 
(11  males  and  14  females).  This  church  was  the  first  African  Me- 
thodist Episcopal  Church  organized  in  the  United  States  ;  its  branches 
at  present  extend  nearly  over  the  whole  Union.  The  aggregate 
membership  is  about  30,000.  Rt.  Rev.  Richard  Allen  was  the  first 
bishop ;  since,  there  have  been  five  more  ordained,  to  wit,  Rt.  Revds. 


[  106  J 

Edward  Waters,  Morris  Brown,  Wm.  Paul  Quinn,  Willis  Nazry,  and 
Daniel  A.  Payne ;  the  three  last  are  at  present  the  acting  bishops,  the 
others  being  dead. 

2.  UNION  A.  M.  E.  CHURCH. 

This  church  is  located  in  Coates  St.,  N.  L.,  between  Fifth  and 
Fourth  Streets.  It  is  a  brick  edifice,  68  feet  long,  by  38  feet  wide  ; 
it  has  a  basement  in  which  are  a  lecture  room  and  two  class  rooms. 
The  audience  room  is  very  tastefully  finished,  well  ventilated,  and  will 
compare  with  any  of  our  churches  for  neatness.  It  was  founded  in 
1816,  and  at  present  contains  a  membership  of  29*7  communicants  ; 
the  church  is  rated  to  seat  800  persons.  It  has  a  Sabbath-school 
attached,  with  160  scholars,  10  male  teachers,  and  8  females.  There 
is  a  fine  library  attached  to  the  school.  The  building  and  lot  are 
valued  at  $14,000. 

3.  A.  M.  E.  WESLEY  CHURCH. 

•  This  is  a  neat  little  brick  superstructure  located  in  Hurst  St.  be- 
tween Lombard  and  South,  Fifth  and  Sixth  Streets;  it  will  seat  about 
500  persons.  The  church  was  founded  in  1834  ;  there  are  300  mem- 
bers. There  is  also  a  basement  to  this  building,  in  which  are  a  lecture 
room,  three  class  rooms,  and  a  minister's  studio.  There  is  a  Sabbath- 
school  of  2*7  children,  3  male  and  2  female  teachers.  The  entire 
property  is  valued  at  $6,000. 

4.  AFRICAN  M.  E.  MISSION. 

This  is  a  brick  building  22  feet  long  by  18  feet  wide.  The  build- 
ing and  lot  are  valued  at  $800,  will  seat  250  persons.  This  mission 
was  commenced  in  1852  ;  at  present  there  is  a  membership  of  120 
persons.  In  the  Sabbath-school  are  68  children.  The  mission  is 
under  the  charge  of  the  Rev.  Stephen  Smith,  the  city  missionary  of 
the  A.  M.  E.  Church.  The  church  is  located  in  South  Seventh 
Street,  below  Dickson  St.,  South wark. 

5.  A.  M.  E.  ALLEN  CHAPEL. 

A  wooden  building  20  feet  long  by  16  wide,  and  together  with 
the  lot  is  valued  at  $400.  It  is  situated  in  Christian  Street  below 


[  107] 

South  Second  Street ;  it  contains  a  membership  of  30  persons,  and 
will  accommodate  150  persons  with  seats.  Attached  is  a  Sabbath- 
school  of  28  children.  This  mission  is  also  under  the  care  of  Rev. 
S.  Smith. 


6.  ZOAR  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

This  church  is  situated  in  Brown  St.,  N.  L.,  between  Fifth  and 
Fourth  Streets,  and  is  in  connection  with  the  M.  E.  Church.  Supposed 
to  have  150  members,  and  Sabbath-school  children,  75.  The  build- 
ing is  of  brick ;  will  seat  about  400  persons ;  has  a  basement  with 
lecture  room  and  two  class  rooms.  The  edifice  is  about  60  feet  long, 
by  about  35  wide.  The  audience  room  is  plain  and  well  finished. 
It  has  no  side  galleries,  but  one  on  the  end.  Valued  about  $12,000. 


7.  ST.  THOMAS  PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAL. 

This  edifice  is  of  brick,  and  stands  at  the  corner  of  Adelphi  and 
Fifth  St.,  between  Locust  and  Walnut.  The  building  is  about  60 
feet  long,  and  about  40  wide.  There  is  a  large  lecture  room  and 
minister's  library  in  the  basement.  The  audience  room  is  a  fine 
specimen  of  architectural  finish,  differing  materially  from  the  finish  of 
the  other  churches.  Attached  to  the  building  is  a  vestry  room. 
There  are  337  adult  members  in  communion.  The  building  in  the 
audience  room  will  seat  on  the  lower  floor  and  galleries,  about  800 
persons.  The  church  has  attached  an  interesting  Sabbath-school  of 
145  children,  5  males,  and  seven  females,  teachers.  It  was  founded 
in  1794.  Wm.  Gray,  Absalom  Jones,  Wm.  White,  Wm.  Gardner, 
Henry  Stewart,  and  Wm.  Wiltshire,  were  the  founders  and  trustees. 
The  entire  property,  including  the  large  lot  upon  which  the  church 
stands,  together  with  the  parsonage,  is  valued  at  $40,000. 


8.  WESLEY  METHODIST  CHURCH. 

This  is  a  neat  brick  edifice,  located  in  Lombard  St.,  between  South 
Sixth  and  Fifth  Sts.;  it  was  founded  in  1820,  Mr.  Josiah  Blue  at  the 
time  the  minister.  The  building  is  60  feet  long,  42  wide,  and  is 
rated  to  seat  800  persons.  For  style  and  finish  it  is  not  surpassed 
by  any  of  the  colored  churches  in  Philadelphia.  There  are  500  com- 
municant members.  Attached  is  a  Sabbath-school  of  165  children, 
10  males  and  12  females,  teachers.  This  building,  also,  has  a  base- 


[  108  ] 

ment  with  class  rooms  and  minister's  study.     The  entire  property  is 
valued  at  $20,000. 


9.  ISRAEL  CONGREGATIONAL  METHODIST. 

This  building  stands  at  the  corner  of  South  Fifth  and  Gaskill  Sts., 
between  Lombard  and  South  Sts.  It  is  a  very  old  brick  edifice,  and 
wears  a  very  antiquated  appearance  inside  and  out.  It  is  a  large 
edifice,  being  72  long,  and  41  feet  wide.  It  has  no  basement ;  will 
seat  about  2,000  persons.  It  was  founded  as  a  Congregational 
church  in  1850.  There  are  about  200  members  to  this  church. 
Property  valued  about  $18,000. 

10.  JOHN  WESLEY  M.  E:  CHURCH. 

This  church  is  in  Shippen  St.  between  Seventh  and  Eighth  Sts. 
It  is  a  small  brick  building  45  feet  long  by  23  feet  wide.  The  church 
was  founded  in  1844,  by  Rev.  Geo.  Valentine.  There  are  at  present 
100  members.  It  will  seat  about  200  persons.  This  property  is 
valued  at  $4,000. 


11.  1st  AFRICAN  BAPTIST  CHURCH,  FOUNDED  IN 

1830. 

« 

This  is  the  first  colored  Baptist  Church  organized  in  Philadelphia, 
Rev.  Mr.  King  being  the  founder.  The  house  is  of  brick ;  in  the 
interior  or  audience  room  it  may  be  said  to  be  beautiful  to  behold. 
The  building  is  48  feet  by  40.  It  will  seat  about  350  persons.  The 
property  is  valued  at  $5,000.  It  is  located  in  Pearl  St.  near  Eleventh 
and  between  Vine  and  Wood  Sts.  There  are  200  members  belonging 
to  this  church,  mostly  young  persons ;  there  are  130  children  in  the 
Sabbath-school. 

12.  UNION  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Was.  founded  in  1832  by  the  Rev.  Daniel  Scott.  There  are  at 
present  260  members,  with  a  Sabbath-school  attached  of  97  scholars, 
9  teachers,  4  males  and  five  females.  The  edifice  is  of  brick,  51  by 
32  feet ;  it  has  a  basement  with  lecture  room  and  minister's  studio. 
The  audience  room  will  accommodate  about  500  persons.  In  appear- 
ance, either  inside  or  out,  this  church  will  compare  favorably  with 


[  109  ] 

any  of  our  churches.     It  is  located  in  Little  Pine  St.,  between  South 
Sixth  and  Seventh  Sts.     The  property  is  valued  at  $5,000. 


13.  SHILOH  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Located  near  corner  Clifton  and  South  Sts.  "Was  organized  in 
1842,  Rev.  John  F.  Raymond,  minister.  The  building  is  of  brick,  54 
by  40  feet  in  dimension  ;  it  has  a  basement  with  lecture  room  and  mi- 
nister's studio.  The  audience  room  is  of  plain,,  neat  finish,  and  will 
seat  comfortably  about  600  persons.  There  are  225  members  in 
communion  with  this  church.  A  Sabbath-school  with  85  scholars 
and  8  teachers,  7  of  which  are  females.  The  entire  property  is  valued 
at  $11,000. 

14.  CHURCH  OF  THE  CRUCIFIXION. 

This  church  was  organized  in  1850,  and  is  under  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Mission,  better  known  as  the  Episcopal  Mission  Station, 
and  under  the  supervision  of  the  Rev.  George  Bringhurst.  It  is  located 
in  South  Eighth  St.,  between  Shippen  and  South.  It  is  a  brick  build- 
ing about  55  feet  long  by  40  feet  wide,  and  will  seat  about  500  per- 
sons. There  is  no  basement ;  the  audience  room  being  on  the  first 
floor,  includes  the  entire  inner  space  from  the  floor  to  the  rafters,  which 
gives  it  a  very  airy  as  well  as  commodious  appearance.  The  finish  is 
very  plain,  though  neat ;  it  has  recently  been  remodelled.  This 
church  was  originally  intended  for  poor  colored  people,  and  was  to 
be  considered  a  free  church  as  it  still  is  ;  but  such  was  the  increase 
of  white  people  upon  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Bringhurst,  that  it  was 
found  necessary  to  receive  white  persons  to  membership.  There  are, 
however,  in  communion  with  this  church  50  colored  members,  300 
colored  Sabbath-school  children,  taught  by  20  white  teachers,  males 
and  females,  who  have  devoted  their  attention  and  time  to  their  reli- 
gious culture.  In  connection,  there  is  a  day  (parochial)  school, 
comprising  80  scholars. 

15.  UNION  METHODIST  CHURCH. 

Located  in  Little  Pine  St.  between  Sixth  and  Seventh  Sts.  Was 
founded  in  1837  ;  contains  about  100  members.  The  house  is  a 
small  brick  building,  about  18  feet  wide,  and  about  40  feet  long,  and 
valued  at  $2,000.  It  was  founded  by  Rev.  Peter  Spencer. 


16.   1st  AFRICAN  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

This  building  stands  on  South  Seventh  St.,  near  the  corner  of 
Shippen  St.  The  exterior  of  this  building  is  very  plain,  the  interior 
very  creditable  ;  as  it  has  been  very  recently  remodelled.  It  will 
seat  very  comfortably  about  900  persons.  The  church  was  founded 
in  1807,  and  at  present  numbers  about  180  communicant  members. 
There  is  a  Sabbath-school  attached,  consisting  of  61  children,  2  male 
and  3  female  teachers.  There  is  a  library  attached  of  271  volumes. 
The  property  is  valued  at  $8,000. 

17.  SECOND  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

This  is  a  fine,  modern  built  brick  edifice,  37  by  51,  located  in  St. 
Mary  St.,  between  South  Sixth  and  Seventh  Sts.,  founded  in  1824, 
then  Old  School,  but  now  under  the  New  School.  The  interior  of  the 
church  is  very  neat ;  it  will  seat  about  450  persons  comfortably. 
There  is  a  basement  to  this  church  ;  it  is  divided  into  lecture  room, 
session  room,  and  a  minister's  studio.  Through  a  division  that  took 
place  whereby  nearly  one-half  of  the  members  left,  there  are  now  but 
75  persons  members  of  the  church.  There  is  a  Sabbath-school  con- 
nected with  the  church,  containing  30  children,  3  male  and  3  female 
teachers.  The  property  is  valued  at  $6,000. 


18.  CENTRAL  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

This  church  was  founded  in  1844  by  Rev.  Stephen  Gloucester, 
a  son  of  Rev.  John  Gloucester.  The  edifice  is  a  very  fine  brick 
building,  tastily  finished  externally.  Within,  it  is  very  handsomely 
completed  in  its  architecture  and  furniture.  The  building  is  60  feet 
long  by  38  feet  wide,  and  will  seat  comfortably  about  600  persons. 
It  has  a  basement  with  a  lecture  room,  session  room,  and  minister's 
studio,  with  a  fine  library  attached.  There  are  260  members  in  com- 
munion. There  is  a  Sabbath-school  of  75  children,  6  male  and  6 
female  teachers.  The  property  is- valued  at  $15,000. 

To  sum  up  the  aggregate  of  all  these  churches,  we  arrive  at  the 
following  result : — 

18  churches  capable  of  accommodating  11,000  persons. 
4354  communicant  members. 


[  111  ] 

1615  children  taught  in  the  sabbath-schools. 
Value  of  church  property,  $221,200. 

When  we  consider  that  there  are  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  about 
30,000  people  of  color,  we  see  there  is  still  room  for  further  effort  in 
filling  up  these  churches.  And  may  we  not  hope  that  God's  blessing 
will  still  be  upon  us,  and,  trusting  upon  his  favor  and  loving  kindness, 
and  with  hearts  filled  with  thankfulness  for  his  past  mercies,  go  for- 
ward, and,  with  united  hearts,  do  with  all  our  might  what  our  hands 
find  to  do.  And  now  unto  Him  that  is  able  to  do  exceeding 
abundantly  above  all  that  we  ask  or  think,  according  to  the  power 
that  worketh  in  us,  unto  Him  be  glory  in  the  Church  by  Jesus  Christ 
throughout  all  ages  world  without  end.  Amen. 


WAITED. 

The  undersigned  wishes  the  assistance  of  COLPORTEURS,  to 
circulate  throughout  our  Church 

THE  HISTORY 

OF  THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN  AMERICA, 

BY  REV.  RICHARD  WEBSTER. 

WITH    A    MEMOIR   OF    THE    AUTHOR, 

BY  REV.  C.  VAN  RENSSELAER,  D.  D., 


BYT  REV.  WM.  BLACKWOOD,  D.  D. 

ftEit!)  a  portrait  of  t!)t  Eutfcor. 
Making  a  large  octavo  volume  of  720  pages,  at  $3,  free  of  postage. 

(BEING  THE  FIRST  VOLUME  OP  THE  COLLECTIONS  OP 
THE  PRESBYTERIAN  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY.) 

The  great  value  of  this  volume  is  acknowledged  in  all  parts  of  our  country, 
and  the  active  ministers  in  the  Church  are  ready  to  co-operate  in  its  fullest  ex- 
tent with  any  persons  who  engage  in  the  work.  To  licentiates,  ministers  with 
or  without  charge,  and  to  any  others  wishing  to  engage  in  a  good  cause,  this  op- 
portunity is  very  favorable. 

Arrangements  of  the  most  liberal  character  made,  and  those  who  will  join 
us  in  giving  this  HISTORY  the  wide-spread  circulation  its  worth  demands,  will 
address 

JOSEPH  M.  WILSON,  Publisher, 
No.  Ill  SOUTH  TENTH  ST.,  BELOW  CHESTNUT.  PHILADELPHIA. 

P.  S.  We  would  also  call  attention  to  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  MAGAZINE, 
;i  monthly  religious  journal,  edited  by  Rev.  C.  VAN  RENSSELAER,  D.  I).,  pub- 
lished at  $1  per  annum. 

IN  PREPARATION, 
Several  works  of  interest  to  Presbyterians. 


Hollinger 

pH  8.5 
Mill  Run  F3-1716 


